Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309722320 - Steel Dynamics Inc Structural & Rail Division

Inspection Information - Office: Indiana Department Of Labor

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:30 a.m. on December 14, 2006, Employee #1 was working in the Number 6 rail yard spotting the rail car loading while a coworker loaded and positioned the steel I-beams onto the car. The car is an open flat car with bulkheads at each end. The loading process is done using a fork truck. The first stack of four beams (one interlaced with the other) was on the car and the coworker was positioning the beams toward the opposite side of the car by walking the beams, one end at a time, to the back edge. This is done by lifting one end at a time and moving them an inch or two until they are properly positioned. The operation is done this way since the rail car is about 60-ft 8-in. long and the beams are 60-ft long. To line the beams up with the edge of the car, a spotter helps by looking and directing the fork truck operator in the moving of the beams. Employee #1 was performing the spotting function and watching the movement and directing the positioning operation at the time of the incident. Apparently Employee #1 was performing this act while standing on the top beam at about the middle of the beams. The top two beams slipped off the stack causing Employee #1 to fall off. The two beams fell on top of Employee #1, pinning him in such a way as to restrict his breathing. Employee #1 suffered asphyxiation and was killed.

Keywords: BEAM, STEEL BEAM, ASPHYXIATED, PINNED, STRUCK AGAINST, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, MECH MAT HANDLING, FALLING OBJECT