Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 309836658 - Employee Is Killed When Struck by Bundle of Steel Tubing
| Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 309836658 | 11/16/2006 | 5051 | 423510 | Lapham-Hickey Steel Corp |
Abstract: At approximately 10:15 a.m. on November 15, 2006, Employee #1 and a coworker, both employed by a steel company, were assigned to pull stock from steel shelves that were attached to an I-beam. While the coworker operated a Hubtex electric side-loader with four forks that had a platform attached, Employee #1 stood on the platform and manually retrieved single stock items from the shelving. Once the stock was removed from the shelf it was placed on the platform of the side-loader. The side-loader was rated for 10,000 lbs. and the shelving, which measured 19.25 inches in deep, had a variety of steel items to include an angle iron, and different sizes of round and square steel tubing. As Employee #1 was standing on the left side of the platform that was about 20 feet from the ground, retrieving the stock items from a shelf and placing them on the Hubtex platform, the stock began to pile up. Not before long, the stock hung over the platform by about 5-feet on each side. A bundle of square steel tubing that hung over the shelf by about 7.5 inches and consisted of twenty-five pieces of square steel tubing, measuring 2-feet deep by 2-feet wide by 20 feet long, and weighed about 2,700 lbs. fell from a shelf, striking Employee #1. He was killed due to multiple blunt force trauma injuries received. The accident investigation revealed that it was common practice for employees to stand on a platform made by the forks of the side-loader while the operator lifted them up to the shelves. However, during these operations, fall protection was not used. Additionally, the aisles are narrow and although there is a guide along the bottom of the shelf to help keep the Hubtex wheels straight, the wheels do not lock into the guide. The coworker later reported that he had heard a large crash and felt the side-loader shake. When he looked to see what had occurred, he observed Employee #1 in front of the side-loader with a bundle of steel lying on top of him. The exact cause of the accident is unknown; however, it was determined that the bundle was neither secured nor stable and required little to no motion to cause it to fall.
| Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 309836658 | Fatality | Other | Laborers, except construction |
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