Inspection Detail

Inspection: 303989826 - Midwest Communication Towers, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Jacksonville Area Office

Investigation Summary

On August 21, 2002, Employee #1 was part of a crew engaged in maintenance on a 1,265 ft tall communication tower. He was suspended from a guy cable by a hook and pulley assembly greasing the cables. He was wearing a body belt with a seat strap that was secured to the hook and pulley assembly by a single lanyard. There was also a 2 ft long chain connected to the body belt that could be used to secure the belt to the hook and pulley assembly. His movement up and down the guy cable was controlled by a 0.375-in. wire rope hoist line that ended in an eye with a shackle connected to the hook and pulley assembly. The hoist line ran from a 44,000 pound drum hoist mounted on a Ford 700 truck, through a 4-in. block that was rigged to the base of the tower, up the tower to a 2-in. block that was connected to the tower at the working elevation, and then to the hook and pulley assembly. Employee #1 was first lowered from the working level to near the ground, and then slowly pulled upwards as he greased the guy cable, which was at a 53 degree angle. When he reached the top portion of the guy cable, the crew would relocate the equipment to do the next guy cable. A rigger/spotter was positioned on the tower at the working level to watch Employee #1, and to communicate by radio to the winch operator located by the truck. Employee #1 was suspended from the guy cable just a few feet from the tower. The rigger/spotter heard a snap and then saw Employee #1 begin to travel down the guy cable. Employee #1, who was still attached to the hook and pulley assembly, rapidly traveled 586 ft down the cable until he struck the base of the guy cables. The base was a ground connection point for three different cables which were attached vertically, one over the other. Employee #1 was on the middle guy cable. He suffered massive blunt impact injuries, including multiple lacerations and fractures, and died. Subsequent investigation determined that the hoist line had become disconnected from the hook and pulley assembly. This assembly was damaged from the collision and it was not known what caused the separation. The rigger/spotter did not see how the connection to the hoist line was made, and the shackle may have been connected to a hook on the assembly that did not have a safety latch. The shackle may also have been connected to the assembly itself which could be opened. It was normally locked shut by a locking pin held in place by a cotter pin. The assembly was found open on the ground, but this may have been caused by the impact.

Keywords: ATTACHMENT HOOK, FRACTURE, SAFETY LATCH, COMMUNICATION TOWER, UNSECURED, GUY, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, TOWER