Inspection Detail

Inspection: 112410659 - The Reinforced Earth Company

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Manassas (Regional Office)- Safety 0355114

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:30 p.m. on December 8, 1992, Employee #1 was helping to unload the last of 4 ft wide by 15 ft long by 10 in. thick concrete sound barrier panels from a flatbed trailer. The trailer was slanted to its right with the natural slope of the nearly-level roadway. Because the trailer was slanted to the right, the panel was only braced on the right side of each end of the panels by a 2 ft by 4 ft board angled up from the siderail of the trailer and nailed to 1 ft by 4 ft side dunnage strips extending vertically from the bottom to the top of the panel. Each brace was nailed to the 1 ft by 4 ft strips by three nails--two straight in and one down from the top end of each 2 ft by 4 ft board. Employee #1 had been using a short metal rod and a small short-handled sledgehammer to locate and clean out the 3/4 in. (inside diameter) cable ports. He was at the front end of the trailer, partially between the front end of the panel and the right side of the trailer. As he bent over to see if the ports were clear, the supports gave way. He tried to jump to the side but could not avoid the falling panel, and his right leg was severely crushed between the panel and a concrete barrier beside the trailer. At the time the panel fell, Employee #1 was not actually touching it. Subsequently his right leg was amputated just below the knee. The panel had not been adequately braced to preclude such an accident.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, OFF LOADING, BRACING, LEG, CONCRETE PANEL, CONSTRUCTION, TRAILER, FALLING OBJECT