Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119950798 - Southwest Pump & Drilling

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on August 14, 2002, Employee #1 of Southwest Pump and Drilling was instructed to drop off a flatbed trailer, which was loaded with 24 steel pipes at the Coachella Valley Water District storage yard. When Employee #1 arrived at the site, a forklift operator told him to use a Caterpillar Number 806, Model Number V130, serial Number 3V10407, to unload the pipes. Employee #1 got out of the cab of the truck and started removing the nylon and chain straps that secured the pipes during the transport. He was on the right side of the flatbed trailer, bent over putting the straps inside the utility box when he heard a loud noise. The forklift operator was on the opposite side of the trailer attempting, with some difficulty, to get the forks between the pipes. He managed to get two pipes on the forklift and was tilting back when he noticed a pipe from the other side rolling underneath the trailer. The operator backed up, turned off his vehicle, and went around the trailer, where he found Employee #1 on the ground. He was struck by the steel pipe that rolled off the trailer. Employee #1 injured his right knee and sustained a complete tear of his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). He was hospitalized for three weeks.

Keywords: KNEE, FRACTURE, TENDON, CONSTRUCTION, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, OFF LOADING, PIPE, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, FLATBED TRUCK