Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18118455 - Stevedoring Services Of America

Inspection Information - Office: Columbia Area Office

Investigation Summary

The ship Argonaut was being off loaded at the Wando Terminal, Mt. Pleasant, SC. Employee #1 stopped in the traffic lane at a dock to speak with a coworker who was sitting on a forklift. The employees looked up and saw a fifth wheel with a loaded flatbed coming toward them. The coworker said that Employee #1's reflective vest was caught by the trailer, causing him to lose his balance and fall under its rear wheels. The first set of rear wheels on the trailer rolled over his left arm and shoulder, killing him. The truck driver claims the cab of the fifth wheel missed Employee #1 by 3 to 5 feet. The posted speed limit at the terminal is 25 mph. The police report estimates that the truck driver was traveling 10 mph. The truck driver said that he did not know how fast he had been going as the fifth wheel did not have a speedometer. The traffic lane was approximately 50 feet wide and unobstructed except for Employee #1 and the coworker, who were approximately 25 feet and 20 feet, respectively, from the west line which marked the lane.

Keywords: CLOTHING, SHOULDER, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BY, ARM, TRAILER, LOST BALANCE, RUN OVER