Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120295605 - Rio Doce Pasha

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

On April 10, 1997, Employee #1, a crane operator with Lonnie Crane Service, and Employee #2, a longshoreman who also worked as a crane operator, were using a Krupp hydraulic crane, model #GMK 5160, serial #51608133, to unload crates from the ship National Dignity at berth 179 in the port of Los Angeles at Rio Doce Pasha. Lonnie Crane Service had been subcontracted because the cranes in the Pasha Yard did not have sufficient capacity to lift the crates off the ship. The crane was parked along the dock, parallel with the ship. Employees #1 and 2 had already made one pick during the morning and they were on their second pick when the accident occurred. According to the accompanying paperwork, the weight of the second load was 138,600 lb, and the crate was marked 139,040 lb. Employee #1 said that he was working with a 72 ft boom at a radius of 30 ft. The load chart for the crane gave a capacity of 123,000 lb for the crane at that boom length and radius. Three attempts were made to lift the load. The first attempt exceeded a 35 ft radius, and the safe load indicator alarm went off. During the second attempt, the combing on the ship was in the way. Prior to the third attempt, Employee #1 switched to a 12-part line. As the pick was being made, Employee #2 was standing on the side of the crane talking with Employee #1 because the crane operator did not understand longshoring language. He said that the safe load indicator on the crane showed 126,000 lb, with the alarm going off and with the load not yet off the ground. A key was used to bypass the safe load indicator and Employee #2 said the operator told him to hold the key so that the pick could be made. As the boom swung around to the end of the crane, the crane started to tip. Employee #1 told Employee #2 to jump off the crane. Employee #2, who was standing in front of the door to the operator's cab, jumped backward off the crane; he was immediately followed by Employee #1. Employee #2 sustained a fractured right patella and a fractured left calcaneus, and Employee #1 sustained soft tissue injuries to his back. Causal factors in this accident include Employee #1 loading the crane beyond its rated capacity, and the management at Pasha Yard not barricading danger areas or taking other positive means to prevent employees from entering areas in which they may be in danger.

Keywords: LONGSHORING, FRACTURE, BARRIER GUARD, WORK RULES, OVERLOADED, BACK, FALL, OFF LOADING, CRANE, OVERTURN