Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311363469 - Maverick Tube, L.P.

Inspection Information - Office: Little Rock Area Office

Investigation Summary

On March 14, 2008, Employee #1 was signaling to a loader operator, while on a metal ladder that was attached near the top of a movable "back-stop", above the ground and adjacent to a railcar that was being loaded with pipe at a shipping yard. The rail car was being loaded with the top layer, consisting of nine pipes that weighed approximately 1,500 pounds each. The nine pipes were being placed over a banded stack of pipe previously loaded into the railcar, using a forklift equipped with a fork device that clamped and secured them. The pipes were lifted above the existing stack of pipes on the railcar, the fork apparatus was tilted down, and the clamp was released. The nine pipes unexpectedly rolled across the stack of pipes, instead of settling in between them, and struck the "back-stop", which was not adequately secured into place. This knocked Employee #1 from the ladder. The retractable lifeline attached to Employee #1 locked, but he was slammed into the railcar by at least one section of the falling pipe. Employee #1 was killed.

Keywords: LOADING, SIGNALMAN, UNSECURED, LADDER, RAILROAD CAR, STRUCK AGAINST, PIPE, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, UNSTABLE LOAD