Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1256155.015 - Stone Mart

Inspection Information - Office: Columbus Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:00 p.m. on August 14, 2017, an employee and a coworker were unloading bundles of slabs from a shipping container. The container had eight bundles of slabs. Four bundles were placed in front of another four bundles. The front four bundles had been removed and the end bundle on the left from the back four bundles was also removed. The employee and the coworker were preparing to remove the bundle from the other end, closest to the container wall on the right side. All the wood bracing was already cut and the bundle was no longer supported or braced. The employee and coworker were putting a strap under the bundle. Each worker was on either side of the bundle of slabs. The strap that was used was an endless loop that would be attached to the tines of a forklift and the forklift would lift the bundle and remove it from the shipping container. After the two workers placed the strap under the bundle of slabs they began to walk away from the area and the bundle fell toward the container wall. The end of the bundle pinned the employee against the container wall. There were about eight slabs in the bundle that fell over, each weighing approximately 700-1000 lbs. The employee suffered broken ribs and collapsed lungs and was hospitalized.

Keywords: Containerized Cargo, Crushing, Falling Object, Fracture, Lung, Material Handling, Rib, Struck By