Inspection Detail

Inspection: 109178921 - Infra-Metals Company

Inspection Information - Office: Bridgeport Area Office

Investigation Summary

On October 12, 2007, an employee and coworkers were disassembling the southernmost section of the cross transfer table in Bay Number 8 West following the company's annual inventory. The company was shut down for normal operations on the day of the incident. The cross transfer table was designed and previously built to move various metal products to the Do-All horizontal metal band saw. The table was used to lift and transfer various metal products to either the Do-All saw or the T machine which splits beams into two sections. The table was comprised of structural I beams and metal grating installed between the horizontally constructed I beams. An employee, warehouse technician and a coworker, a process supervisor, were assigned the task of dismantling the two southern most metal sections of the cross transfer table. Placed on the metal grating of the southern most section was a 2-in. by 2-in. by 0.375-in. thirty foot long piece of angle iron. In order to remove the angle iron, the employee and the coworker utilizing the overhead DeShazo 15 ton, 7.5 ton per hoist, and a three legged alloy steel chain sling comprised of two 5-foot long 0.375-in. Grade 8 legs equipped with sorting hooks and one 16-ft long 0.375-in. Grade 100 single leg equipped with a C hook. Initially, the employee had custody of the crane operators control box but then after a brief discussion the coworker obtained the custody of the control box. The employee took control of the lifting chains. Both the employee and the coworker were standing atop the metal grating inside the southernmost section of the cross transfer table. The employee using the 16 foot long section of the three legged sling, attached the leg around the angle iron piece of metal in a choker position and held tension on the chain with his right hand. Using his left hand, the employee held the two sorting hooks from the unused 5-ft long sling legs. The coworker, who was operating the overhead crane with the crane box, raised the block and hook of the crane to take up the slack from the 16-ft long leg. While raising the hook and crane block, the coworker, who was standing four to five feet behind the employee, observed one of the two sorting hooks being held in the left hand of the employee nearing the upper flange of one of the horizontal support beams of the cross transfer table. The coworker released the hook- raise button on the crane box but the cranes hook continued to drift slightly upward snagging on the upper flange of the beam. The employee released his hand from the sorting hooks and immediately the one snagged hook popped off the flange striking the employee on the right side of the face. The employee lost consciousness for less than a minute and was tended to by fellow employees. The emergency medical services were called, and the employee was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital. He was hospitalized and treated for fractured face.

Keywords: UNCONSCIOUSNESS, OVERHEAD CRANE, STRUCK BY, SLING, FACE