Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307168369 - Mr Crane Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

On May 7, 2006, Employee #1 and two coworkers were dismantling a tower crane, when an accident occurred. There were two employers involved in the accident. One was the "exposing" employer, which erected and dismantled the crane. The other was the "creating" or "correcting" employer. It owned the crane and provided technical assistance for the erection and dismantling procedures. Employee #1 and the first coworker were employed as ironworkers by the crane erection company, the "exposing" employer, at the time of the accident. Although Employee #1 was an experienced tilt-up construction rigger, the day of the accident was his first day working on a tower crane. Employee #1 and the first coworker were helping the second coworker, a technician from the crane owner, coil up a disconnected trolley line. The trolley line was a 0.625-inch diameter wire rope cable weighing 0.72 pounds per linear foot. The line had been disconnected from the trolley, which was retracted as close to the operator's cab as possible, and the line was suspended along the bottom of the crane jib via a 16-gauge double-looped wire at 13 to 19 foot intervals. The crane was a Model Number 630-ECH-H20 Liebherr with a 267-foot jib and Serial Number LE43806. It was 262 feet high. It was unusual in that the trolley drum had an auxiliary storage drum attached to the trolley drum. The crane manufacturer's manual said that this drum was for rereeving the loosened trolley line. During the dismantling of the trolley line, a special-size Allen wrench was required to release the storage drum. The technician for the crane owner company stated in an interview that he did not have the tool with him at that moment and that it was down in his truck. It is unclear from statements given to DOSH from the witnesses whether the technician offered to get the wrench or elected to coil the trolley line without the storage drum. It was established that the technician did begin coiling the trolley line on a floor plate in front of the trolley line, while being fed line by one of the ironworkers, either Employee #1 or the first coworker, working down the jib. Employee #1 had finished securing the dogged-off trolley with two slings and was standing on an elevated platform adjacent to the trolley drum, when the wire rope came loose from its coil and began to run down the jib. One of the coils of the wire rope ensnared Employee #1's ankle as it was falling down the jib and amputated his lower left leg. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: RIGGING, AMPUTATED, DISMANTLING, WIRE ROPE, CRANE BOOM, FALLING OBJECT, CRANE, LEG