Inspection Detail

Inspection: 15155757 - Alcoa Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Tennessee Osha Knoxville Office - Safety

Investigation Summary

EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE PART OF A FIVE MAN CREW WHICH WAS CHANGING AN 18 INCH FEED ROLL IN AN ALUMINUM RECYCLING BUILDING. THE TWO EMPLOYEES WERE IN THE BASKET OF A HYDRAULIC WORK PLATFORM WHICH WAS SUSPENDED ABOUT 12 FEET ABOVE FLOOR LEVEL. EMPLOYEE #2 WAS OPERATING THE CRANE BY RADIO CONTROL. THERE WAS NO LOAD ON THE CRANE. WITH THE CRANE BLOCK DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BASKET, EMPLOYEE #2 RAISED THE BLOCK AT FULL SPEED. THE BLOCK, WHICH HAD A DAMAGED TRIPPAN (BENT APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES BELOW HORIZONTAL) CONTACTED THE COUNTERWEIGHT FOR THE LIMIT SWITCH. THE LIMIT SWITCH COUNTERWEIGHT SLID OFF THE BENT TRIPPAN, PARTIALLY DUE TO A BROKEN COUNTERWEIGHT "HAIRPIN", WHICH FAILED TO LIMIT THE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF THE COUNTERWEIGHT. THE BLOCK CONTINUED UPWARD, CONTACTING THE DRUM. THE WIRE ROPE BROKE, ALLOWING THE 700 POUND BLOCK/HOOK TO FALL INTO THE BASKET CONTAINING EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2. EMPLOYEE #1 RECEIVED CRITICAL INJURIES. EMPLOYEE #2 RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED POOR CRANE MAINTENANCE, INADEQUATE TRAINING OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, UNSAFE WORK PRACTICES AND INADEQUATE RECORD KEEPING PROCEDURES.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, CRANE HOOK, WIRE ROPE, OVERHEAD CRANE, STRUCK BY, TWO-BLOCKING, CRANE BLOCK, FALLING OBJECT, CRANE