Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310252903 - Cut Scrap Sle

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:45 a.m. on June 11, 2007, Employee #1 was helping the crane operator turn over a large piece of steel, measuring 35-ft by 22.5-ft, that had been cut off of a barge. Employee #1 climbed onto the steel to attach a chain and hook to a pad on a 70-inch magnet that was attached to the crane by a bridle. The magnet weighed approximately 8,000 pounds. After turning the large piece of steel over and laying it on the ground, Employee #1 approached the steel to remove the lifting chain and hook and found that, in order to remove the hook, he needed to crawl under the steel that was 18 inches off of the ground. While he was still under the steel piece, he signaled to the crane operator that he needed more slack in the chain. The crane operator raised the magnet off of the ground and moved it slightly to attain more slack and immediately saw Employee #1's arm go limp. The crane operator blew the horn on the crane but got no response from Employee #1. The crane operator went to check on Employee #1, but when he pulled him from under the piece of steel, he was already dead.

Keywords: CHAIN, MAGNET, STEEL PLATE, HEAD, STRUCK BY, CONCUSSION, CRANE OPERATOR