Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301310975 - Charles M. Robbins

Inspection Information - Office: Houston North Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on January 13, 1998, Employee #1, an owner-operator of a semi-tractor, was working at a truck terminal. Employee #1 was in the process of loading two flatbed trailers on top of another flatbed for transportation. Employee #1 was loading the trailers himself using a forklift. Standard operating procedures call for placing the tie-down chains on top of and hanging down from the last flatbed so that once the load is in place the chains are at ground level and can be attached and the load secured without climbing. Employee #1 did not place the chains on the last flatbed prior to placing it on top of the load. Employee #1 requested another owner operator to lift him to the top of the load, which was 13 ft above ground level, in order to put the chains in place. Employee #1 was lifted up to the top of the load and stepped off onto the flatbed and began to put the chains in place. The individual who had lifted the Employee #1 up on the forklift went and talked to other unknown individual on the other side of the truck for a few minutes. They heard a noise and went to see what happened. They saw Employee #1 on the ground. Medical services were summoned but Employee #1 was pronounced dead. The coroner listed the cause of death as blunt impact injuries to head.

Keywords: HEAD, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, TRACTOR TRAILER, TRAILER, FLATBED TRUCK