Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315952929 - Columbia Steel Casting Co Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Or-E-Portland - Safety 1 1054111

Investigation Summary

There are three bridge cranes that operated on the same bridge in the foundry. Each day during the lunch break for production workers, maintenance technicians would perform daily inspections and maintenance to these cranes. Employee #1, one of the maintenance technicians, had been on light duty for the last month and restricted from climbing ladders, so on February 15, 2012, Employee #1 had been inspecting two cranes during the lunch period with the assistance of an apprentice maintenance technician. Prior to the day of the accident, the apprentice had been only servicing one of the other cranes. Although each crane was similar, they do each have some unique operational characteristics. Employee #1 noticed that the wire rope was not properly wound on the drum of the crane he was servicing, and suspected that the operator had side loaded the block, causing the problem. However, Employee #1 needed to rewind the rope and observe the drum to be sure there was not a problem with the rope or the drum. Employee #1 had the apprentice technician trainee get in the cab of the crane he was servicing. Employee #1 removed his lockout device from the crane disconnect in the operator's station of the crane and instructed the apprentice to operate the crane while he observed the operation from a position atop the crane. Employee #1 then climbed up to the bridge and positioned himself on a narrow platform at the end of the bridge near the wire rope drum to observe the process. The block was over a stack of material on the foundry floor, so Employee #1 called out to the apprentice to move the carriage away from the material before lowering the block to the floor. Once in position, Employee #1 squatted down into a position, where he could see the apprentice in the cab and the wire rope and drum. He then had the apprentice lower and raise the block while he observed. After completing the inspection, Employee #1 instructed the apprentice to return the carriage to the resting position. The hand lever for travel control was not as stiff as on the other crane and, in fact, moved very easily past the slow position to the fast travel position. The carriage lurched rapidly, and Employee #1 was not able to get up from his crouched position before the frame of the carriage hit his knees, squeezing him between the carriage and a structural member of the building. Employee #1 suffered contusions and abrasions and was hospitalized.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, WIRE ROPE, CRANE CARRIAGE, DRUM, LOCKOUT, ABRASION, STRUCK BY, FOUNDRY, CONTUSION