Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311875827 - General Electric Transportation System

Inspection Information - Office: Erie Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:00 p.m., on January 11, 2010, Employee #1 a 46-year-old, Crane Operator with General Electric was operating an overhead bridge crane hoist with a remote control box inside building 6E at the General Electric Transportation Systems. At the time of the incident Employee #1 had grounded the large 7,200 pound alternator frame onto the oven table and disconnected the double bridle wire rope sling with dual hooks. After the hooks were removed Employee #1 raised the hoist up out of the way to allow clearance for the frame and table to move into the oven. At that time a hook may have caught the frame causing it to fall off the left side of the table. When a metal frame fell off an adjacent table it pinned Employee #1 to the floor. Three other coworkers working inside building 6E heard the incident and responded. They located the remote control box on Employee #1 and then used it to move the Crane Bridge and hoist, reconnecting the sling and lifted the frame off the Employee #1 and back onto the oven table. Immediately a telephone call was made to the front gate to report the incident and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were summoned. A General Electric first responder arrived first on scene and determined no medical assistance was necessary due to the fatal injuries of Employee #1. The investigation included examination of several equipment items including but not limited to the following; oven table, concrete floor surface, crane, hoist, and remote control box. All equipment items were determined to be in a serviceable condition without defect. A review the crane maintenance records and remote control inputs revealed no malfunction of the equipment. Company training documents verified that Employee #1 was qualified to operate the crane.

Keywords: WIRE ROPE, STRUCK BY, SLING, CRANE OPERATOR, FALLING OBJECT, CRANE