Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305871238 - Quinlan Enterprises

Inspection Information - Office: Tampa Area Office

Investigation Summary

On September 19, 2002, Employee #1, a connector on a steel erection crew, was setting steel beams for the roof of a three-story building. He and the other connector, who was in radio communication with the crane operator, were each setting an end of a new steel beam between the flanges of two previously set beams. The new steel beam was lowered to the workers and Employee #1 clamped his end in place. The coworker then signaled the crane operator to slowly raise up his end of the beam, telling him to continue up and up until indicating to stop. The crane operator interpreted the coworkers OK to mean that the beam was set and that it was safe to hoist the load line. As the crane operator raised the load line, the new steel beam was also being raised; it became wedged so tightly in the flanges of the previously set steel beams that the new beam bent enough to break free. It shot up into the air while still attached to the load line, then fell back down to the end of the load line and began to bounce and spin around. The beam either struck Employee #1 knocking him off the roof beam he was on, or the bouncing and vibrations of the beam caused him to lose his balance. Employee #1 fell through an air conditioning duct at the third floor level, landing on the concrete surface one floor down. He sustained a severe skull fracture and was transported to the hospital, where he died later that night.

Keywords: BEAM, STEEL BEAM, ROOF, SKULL, STEEL ERECTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, STRUCK BY, LOST BALANCE, UNSTABLE POSITION