Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 898627 - Two employees killed when crane collapses
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
125435214 | 08/28/1997 | 1771 | 0 | Smc Concrete Inc. |
Abstract: Between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. on August 28, 1997, Employees #1 and #2 were making some maintenance adjustments to a tower crane at a luxury suites hotel construction site near the Dulles toll road in Herndon, VA. The 160-ft-high crane, which had 136 ft of jib in front of the turntable, had been erected on August 25 and August 26, 1997, and had been certified for operation on the afternoon of August 26, 1997. Employee #2, a service technician, was out on the four-section jib adjusting the trolley limit switch; and Employee #1, the crane operator, was also on the crane. An eyewitness stated that he heard the trolley motor start up. The trolley appeared to jump slightly; a connecting pin popped out of the jib between the second and third sections; and the jib began to buckle. The end of the jib then swung clockwise and wrapped around the tower before the crane and tower collapsed with all the weight on the rear of the crane. Both employees sustained multiple fractures. Employee #2 died at the scene. Employee #1 was flown to Fairfax Hospital, where he later died. At the time of the event there was no load on the crane, and it had not been used on that date before the adjustments were made.
End Use | Project Type | Project Cost | Stories | Non-building Height | Fatality | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other building | New project or new addition | $5,000,000 to $20,000,000 | 7 | X |
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation | Construction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 125435214 | Fatality | Fracture | Specified mechanics and repairers | Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 120 feet Cause: Temporary work (buildings, facilities) Fatality Cause: Fall from/with platform catwalk (attached to struc |
||
2 | 125435214 | Fatality | Fracture | Crane and tower operators | Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 120 feet Cause: Temporary work (buildings, facilities) Fatality Cause: Fall from/with platform catwalk (attached to struc |