Inspection Detail

Inspection: 102531076 - Acme Steel Company

Inspection Information - Office: Chicago South Area Office

Investigation Summary

The cable on Ore Bridge #2 had run off the hoist drum and wrapped around the drum shaft during the previous shift. Employees were assigned to unwind the closing cable from the drum shaft and rewind it onto the drum, then remove and replace it with a new cable. Employee #1, part of a four-man crew, was responsible for ensuring that the cable was unwound from the shaft and rewound back onto the drum. He was on top of the trolley to view the action of the cable as the crane operator operated the drum. Employee #1 and the operator were able to communicate verbally through an open hatch door located above the crane operator. No movement of the trolley was required during this procedure. The cable unwound from the shaft and rewound onto the drum without Employee #1's help. Once the cable was back on the drum, Employee #1 told the crane operator that he was off the trolley and on the catwalk, which is guarded on both sides with standard guardrails. The crane operator then moved the trolley back and forth several times in an attempt to tip the bucket on its side so the ground crew could remove the old cable and install the new one. Between the third and fourth attempt, as the crane operator trolleyed east to set the bucket down and began to trolley west to tip the bucket over, Employee #1 climbed from the catwalk onto the top of the trolley. Then as the trolley moved west, Employee #1's left leg caught between the trolley wheel and the trolley rail, which almost amputated his leg. He was transported to the hospital, where he died of excessive blood loss.

Keywords: LOSS OF BLOOD, PINNED, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CATWALK, LEG