Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312116643 - Rsb Services, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Tampa Area Office

Investigation Summary

On March 19, 2008, Employee #1 and a coworker were replacing a gearbox on the inclined screw conveyor in the feed mill of a citrus processing plant. The gearbox was suspended from one fork of a forklift by a fiber sling, which was rigged in a basket configuration on the same fork. The screw conveyor shaft that the gearbox was to be fitted on was 49 in. above ground. Employee #1 was on the north side of the screw conveyor guiding and pushing the gearbox, whereas the coworker was on the south side of the screw conveyor and operating the forklift. The coworker stepped down from the forklift to assist Employee #1 in moving the gearbox and lining it up the shafts, so that the gearbox would slide into position on the inclined screw conveyor. Before the coworker reached the gearbox, Employee #1 apparently pushed and tipped the gearbox in such a manner that caused the sling to slide off the end of the fork. The gearbox fell on Employee #1's chest and caused crushing chest injuries that killed him.

Keywords: CHEST, CRUSHED, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, UNSTABLE LOAD, UNSTABLE POSITION