Inspection Detail

Inspection: 110040219 - North American Pipe, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fort Worth Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a contract truck driver for Packard Transport, was transporting three large, approximately 40 ft long by 3 ft in circumference metal pipes from one location to another in Saginaw, TX. After arriving at the facility, he loosened the four straps that were stabilizing the load. Two pipes were stacked on the bed of the truck and the third was placed on top of them, with a wood sheet and three chocks to prevent movement. The truck was facing east, and Employee #1 was on its north side. He removed a chock from the north side so that the forklift operator could unload the pipes, which weight several thousand pounds. The operator had three tasks to complete first. When he arrived at the truck to begin unloading, he found the top pipe partially off the truck and resting on Employee #1, who had been killed. The freight foreman had not instructed Employee #1 to haul the load of pipes, which was to be moved by the contract driver who owned the trailer. It was determined that there was no jurisdiction because Employee #1 was a self-employed contract driver and a sole proprietor.

Keywords: UNSECURED, WORK RULES, MANUAL MAT HANDLING, OFF LOADING, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, METAL PIPE, TRUCK DRIVER, UNSTABLE POSITION