Inspection Detail

Inspection: 108416561 - The C & P Telephone Company Of Maryland

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

Investigation Summary

DURING A WORK STOPPAGE BY TELEPHONE UNION EMPLOYEES, SUPERVISORS WERE MAKING REPAIRS TO TELEPHONE CABLES ACCORDING TO THEIR SKILLS AS FORMER CRAFT WORKERS. A MAINTENANCE MANAGER WAS AT THE END OF A 6-DAY TROUBLE CALL ON AERIAL CABLES ON WHICH HE AND TWO OTHER SUPERVISORS, EACH WORKING INDEPENDENTLY WITH SEPARATE TRUCKS, HAD BEEN WORKING. HE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH HIS TRUCK FOR 12 DAYS AND WAS BASICALLY FAMILIAR WITH ITS OPERATION. HIS VEHICLE WAS AN AERIAL LIFT TRUCK WITH A TELESCOPING BOOM POWERED BY AN AUXILIARY GENERATOR THAT COULD BE STOPPED AND STARTED FROM THE AERIAL LIFT BUCKET. THE ONLY EMERGENCY OPERATION AVAILABLE WAS "BOOM LOWER". WHEN HE FINISHED WORKING ALOFT, THE GENERATOR WOULD NOT START, SO HE CALLED FOR HELP AND LOWERED THE BOOM AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO. WHEN THE BOOM CAME TO REST, IT WAS 6 FEET, 8 INCHES ABOVE A DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK, WITH THE BUCKET DOOR FACING FORWARD. THERE WAS A THREE-STEP LADDER INSTALLED ON THE FRONT BUMPER, WHICH WAS JUST TO THE REAR OF THE BUCKET. (UNKNOWN TO THE EMPLOYEE, THE BUCKET HAD AN OPTIONAL FEATURE THAT ALLOWED IT TO BE MANUALLY ROTATED ON A VERTICAL AXIS BY DEPRESSING A BUTTON RELEASE IN THE CENTER OF THE BUCKET FLOOR. HAD HE DONE SO, THE DOOR OPENING WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE EMPLOYEE TO EXIT BY MEANS OF THE LADDER. THIS FEATURE IS NOT FOUND ON ALL AERIAL LIFTS.) AFTER WAITING AWHILE, HE DECIDED TO LOWER HIMSELF TO THE GROUND. HE GRASPED A HORIZONTAL BAR ON THE INSIDE OF THE OPEN BUCKET DOOR. HE APPARENTLY LOST HIS GRIP AND FELL ONTO THE DRIVEWAY, LANDING ON HIS LEFT HIP. HE BROKE HIS HIP IN THREE PLACES. HE HAD SURGERY 2 DAYS LATER. DURING THE NEXT 3 DAYS, A BLOOD CLOT FORMED, FROM WHICH HE DIED ON THE MORNING OF THE THIRD DAY.

Keywords: BLOOD CLOT, TELECOM WORK, SLIP, FALL, HIP, AERIAL LIFT