Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1105215.015 - 69677 - Spirit Construction Services Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:35 p.m. on November 6, 2015, Employee #1 and Coworker #1, employed by a construction company, were working inside a crane bay. Employee #1 was assisting Coworker #1, a licensed forklift operator, as they unloaded metal duct pipes from an 18-wheel flatbed trailer inside the bay. The flatbed trailer was approximately 45 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 5 feet high. The metal duct pipes measured 7 feet 10 inches long by 18 inches in diameter. Employee #1, standing on the flatbed, was rolling the pipes from one side of the trailer to the other side. Coworker #1 then used the forklift to move the pipes to the rear of the trailer, where an overhead crane would lift them to the bay's second level. As Employee #1 adjusted a pipe onto the forks of the forklift, his feet slipped off the edge of the flatbed and he fell to the concrete floor. Employee #1 was killed. The subsequent investigation revealed that Employee #1 had sustained a ruptured spleen and severe blunt force trauma injury and a fracture to his neck. His death was due to blood loss from the ruptured spleen. The investigation also determined that Employee #1 was an experienced journeyman iron worker and rigger who had received training over the years while working on various job sites.

Keywords: Aerial Lift, Fall, Flatbed Truck, Iron Worker, Material Handling, Pipe, Rigging, Rupture, Spleen, Storage Area