Inspection Detail

Inspection: 104355680 - Mclean Contracting Co

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 had accessed the top side of a 62 ft tall bridge pier, # EC-2, and had gone down inside it to prepare for the placement of concrete. After a period of time, he exited the top of the pier and waited for a crane operator to position a personnel platform (suspended by the crane) where he could mount it and be brought back to ground level. The crane operator had just lifted employees to another pier and saw Employee #1 signaling to him, so he swung the boom toward the unguarded pier so that Employee #1 could access the platform. The platform was rectangular, with sling legs from each platform corner to bull rings, which were placed on the crane hook. Consequently, as the platform approached the pier, it was swaying. The platform corner made contact with the pier and the employee reached for it, but could not grab it. He then traversed along the pier to the point where the opposite end of the platform was approaching. He reached for the platform, but again failed to grab it. He finally went back to the area where he had first attempted to grab the platform, as it was again swinging toward the pier. He attempted to grab the platform, but lost his balance and fell 62 feet to the concrete. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Keywords: PIER, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, BRIDGE, ELEVATED WORK PLAT, LOST BALANCE, UNGUARDED, CRANE