Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314412404 - Rn'G Construction, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:10 a.m. on July 14, 2010, Employees #1, #2 and #3 were working within a work zone that was established on the shoulder of the highway. The crew had established a shoulder closure at 9:00 a.m. The employees were working on the shoulder to install the posts for a sign. The employees utilized a mobile crane to lift the steel posts. The crane, a boom truck, was erected on the shoulder of the highway. Employee#1, the crane operator worked at the exterior crane controls located on the deck, behind the passengers door. Employee#2, a helper and a laborer, worked on the deck bed of the crane to help with the lift. Employee #3, a helper and a laborer, worked on the ground at the rear of the crane. Employee #3 was standing by in case he was needed. The steel I-beams were located on the bed of the boom truck and one of the beams measured 10-in. wide and 26-ft long, and weighed 638 lbs. The second beam measured 10-in. wide and 25-ft long and weighed 661 lbs. The operator rigged the two beams together with two nylon straps. The straps measured 2-in. wide and 16-ft long. The straps were rigged choker style near each end of the beams. The chokers were rated at 15,000 lbs each. The operator stated that he lifted the beams off of the deck to cinch the choker. He stated that the beams were located on the driver's side of the deck. He stated that the boom angle was 55 degrees and that the boom was centered over the center of the deck and a little off to the right. He stated that the boom was not extended at all and that the boom length was 25-ft long. He stated that the outriggers were not fully extended, but the crane was level. The operator lifted the beams to level the load and lost control of it. The beams struck the drivers side crane controls and then entered the path of traffic, two feet into the right lane of the highway. A tractor trailer truck was traveling the roadway at the same time and was struck by the beams. The posted speed limit was 65 mph. The operator was struck by something gray and thrown from the crane. He landed in the grassy area about 10 feet away, behind the guardrails. His injuries included head trauma, abrasion and swelling on the right temple and right hand. Employee #2 was thrown from the deck onto the highway and suffered bruising in his ribs and soreness in his left hip area. All three employees were treated at Washington County Hospital and released. Employee #3 did not report any injuries. Two people were in the tractor trailer, a male driver and female passenger, husband and wife. The steel beams struck the truck and pierced the passenger side, striking the female passengers legs; first reports indicate that her legs were amputated. Both husband and wife were taken to Washington County Hospital, the husband was treated and released the next day and the wife was flown to Baltimore Shock Trauma, where she remained in critical condition. Observations and interviews revealed that the employer did not provide the employees with a safe work environment. The crane did not have an up to date annual inspection. The crane was not erected safely, the outriggers were not fully extended, per the manufacturers recommendations. Preoperational tests were not conducted on the crane. The employer did not train the employees about the hazards of the crane and how to avoid them. The employer did not maintain a substance abuse policy for sensitive positions. Inspections were not accomplished and maintenance records were not maintained.

Keywords: BEAM, CHEST, HEAD, ABRASION, STRUCK BY, TRACTOR TRAILER, CONCUSSION, CRANE OPERATOR, WORK SURFACE, CRANE