Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310850326 - Carlile Transportation Systems Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Alaska Department Of Labor Osh Enforcement

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on February 18, 2008, Employee #1 and two coworkers were working as truck drivers for Carlile Transportation Systems, Inc. They were helping load of lengths of steel pipe 11.5 inches in diameter and 41 feet, 7 inches long onto their flatbed tractor trailers at the Alaska Railroad Corporation pipe yard in Fairbanks, Alaska. Each piece weighed approximately 1,800 pounds. The three trucks were staged approximately 50 yards apart in a triangular arrangement to facilitate the loading process. Each truck was to be loaded with 26 pipes, in three rows of eight pipes with two pipes on top. The pipe was being loaded onto the trailers by an Alaska Railroad Corporation employee using a Taylor TF-26 forklift, with Model Number THD-360L and Serial Number S-T6-29913. Before loading the pipe onto the trailers, the forklift operator would pick up eight pipes from a stockpile and place them on pipe racks located beside the trailers. Once the pipes were on the pipe rack, the truck driver would place an 0.375-inch safety chain around the pipes and draw them together with a chain binder. The forklift operator would then pick up the bundle of eight pipes and, at the direction of the truck driver, place the load on the trailer. Once the truck driver was satisfied with the placement of the pipe, the forklift operator would back out and proceed to the next truck. Then the driver of the truck just loaded would secure his load. At approximately 2:30 p.m., the forklift operator placed the third row of eight pipes on Employee #1's trailer. Working from the passenger's side of the trailer, he then placed the last two pipes on the pipe rack, backed up, lowered his forks to the ground, and set the brakes on his forklift. Employee # 1 was observed on the driver's side of the trailer removing the chain binder from the safety chain. Employee # 1 then unhooked the safety chain from itself and went around to the passenger's side of the truck. Once there, he reached up, grabbed the chain, carefully pulled it though the pipes, and let it fall to the ground. As Employee # 1 bent over to pick up the safety chain from the ground, the unsecured outboard pipe on the passenger's side of the trailer rolled off, knocking Employee # 1 to the ground and crushing him. The forklift operator called the Alaska Railroad operations office on the radio. He informed them of the accident and requested that they call emergency medical technicians. Employee #1's two coworkers from Carlile Transportation System who were also there loading pipe came to his aid. The forklift operator lifted the pipe off Employee #1 slightly to allow rescue personnel to reach him. The two Carlile coworkers secured Employee # 1's load with two four-inch tie down straps, one at each end of the load of pipes. Fairbanks Fire Department rescue personnel arrived at approximately 2:47 p.m. They extricated Employee #1 and transported him to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:16 p.m.

Keywords: CHAIN, UNSECURED, TRAILER TRUCK, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, PIPE, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, TRUCK DRIVER, UNSTABLE LOAD