Inspection Detail

Inspection: 101390219 - Huntington Ingalls Incorporated

Inspection Information - Office: Jackson Area Office

Investigation Summary

Shipyard scaffold staging of I-beam construction had already been set up adjacent to the starboard side of a bow module for LHD-3, Hull 7202. A series of 168 ft long platforms, guarded by 5/16 in. cable, had been built at multiple levels along the module, starting from near the ground and continuing up to the second deck level. Joiner-insulators had asked for assistance from a mobile crane to lift a 10 ft long by 8 ft wide by 5 1/2 ft high carrier (box), containing 4 ft by 2 ft by 20 in. boxes of insulation, to the scaffold platform outside the second deck. Four insulators were assigned the task of unloading the carrier. One insulator got inside the carrier and was handing boxes to the other three men, who were spread along the scaffold platform. Employee #1 was the middle man on the scaffold. After receiving the ninth or tenth box of insulation and turning with it toward the ship, Employee #1 stumbled to his left and fell backward against the cable guardrails. The cable guardrails gave way, and Employee #1 fell over the side 57 ft to the concrete. He died from a closed head injury and a crushing blow to his rib cage (multiple fractures).

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, GUARDRAIL, SHIPYARD, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, CRUSHED, RIB, FALL, OFF LOADING, SCAFFOLD