Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119822989 - Applied Technologies Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Labor Enforcement Task Force (Letf) Unit - South

Investigation Summary

At approximately 3:30 p.m. on October 14, 2002, Employee #1 was working as a ranch manager for Applied Technologies. Applied Technologies is a company that manufactures tools for the oil field industries. A 35-ton mobile truck-mounted crane (with a lattice boom) is used for drag-line operations at the ranch. The crane had been used to clean up a pond near the ranch. Some employees used clam-shell buckets to excavate the dirt out of the pond so that the pond would be utilized as a reservoir. On the day of the accident, a work crew of five was in the process of dismantling the boom to move the crane to another location. The crew had decided to break up the lattice boom into smaller sections so the crane would be easier to handle during shipping. Employee #1 was underneath the boom trying to drive out the last connecting pin with a sledge hammer, when suddenly the boom came down and pinned him down against the ground. One end of the boom was resting on the ground while the other end was still attached to the truck. The pendants were not properly braced to secure the boom in place. This was the first time Employee #1 had ever attempted to dismantle a boom. He did not have any kind of exposure in regards to crane operation nor any boom disassembly during his employment with the employer before the accident. Employee #1 had watched and assisted in the assembly of the boom on September 12, 2002 when the crane was delivered. Also, Employee #1 read the manuals at home in the evening on how to dismantle the boom. Employee #1 was the leader of the work crew and was the only operator of the crane its was purchase. Employee #1 was driven to Twin City Community (Hospital) by a coworker, where he was treated for his injuries.

Keywords: BOOM TRUCK, FRACTURE, BOOM, COLLAPSE, CRANE BOOM, PINNED, WORK RULES, BACK