Inspection Detail

Inspection: 107093833 - Gulf Coast Pre-Stress, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Jackson Area Office

Investigation Summary

On July 30, Employee #1 was working as a rigger for one of the production department's huge material handling travelift or straddle carrier cranes, which were used to move pre-stressed concrete beams from their pouring beds to the respective product storage yards. His duties required him to walk along beside his assigned crane to hook and unhook loads and to perform other tasks, as needed. On the day of the accident, Employee #1 was rigging for the operator of Mi-jack travelift crane #4. After retrieving the twenty 4 by 4s needed for cribbing on which to set the beams, the operator of crane #4 headed for the south storage yard. Employee #1 rode with him back to the east end of bed #5. At this point, Employee #1 climbed down and went to get something to drink. He told the operator he would meet him at the south product storage yard. Just before getting to the north end of the aisle at which crane #4 would turn, Employee #1 met the operator in the east-west road, south of bed #6. Employee #1 walked under the load, across the front of the travelift crane, and was just inside crane #4's right front tire as the operator began to make his left-hand turn into the south storage yard aisle. The crane #4 operator blew his horn and motioned for Employee #1 to get back out of the way. The operator said Employee #1 walked to his right, back across and in front of the right front tire and was continuing to walk outside the crane wheel toward the south. Meanwhile, the operator focused his attention on getting the giant crane centered in the north-south aisle. The next time the operator looked to his right (toward the west), he saw Employee #1's body lying crushed on the ground, in between the right front and rear wheels. He stopped the crane, left the engine running, and went to the office to alert the management.

Keywords: CLEARANCE, STRADDLE CARRIER, WORK RULES, CRUSHED, OVERHEAD CRANE, MECH MAT HANDLING, STRUCK BY, COMMUNICATION, CRANE, INATTENTION