Inspection Detail

Inspection: 317011385 - Warlock Atlantic Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:20 a.m. on November 7, 2013, Employee #1 was operating an aerial lift and assisting a crew with the demolition of a 135 ft tall building. The crew consisted of a supervisor, the owner of the company, and two other employees that were working together to demo the building. The group had cut the top of four out of the five southwestern most main support beams earlier that day with no issues. They moved to the northwestern beams and began cutting the top of four out of five beams, but could not get the I-beam piece out. After breaking a new 0.625 in. diameter choker, they tried to extract the piece out, but could not. It was then decided by the owner, supervisor and Employee #1 to cut the bottom of the beam to get the roof to collapse. Employee #1 made the pre-cuts (cutting the beam, but not cutting all the way through the beam), and then he went to the ground in the aerial lift to get a choker and shackles to attach the lower piece of the beam to the arm of the Hi-Lo machine that was located on the south end of the building. Once elevated back to the beam that was pre-cut, Employee #1 attached the shackles and choker to the arm of the Hi-Lo machine and the cut beam. Employee #1 made the final cuts to the beam. Employee #1 started down in the aerial lift that was located on the north end of the building. Instead of booming to the left (away from the building) and then down, Employee #1 came straight down the west side of the building. Every other time, Employee #1 had boomed away from the building and then down according to the owner. As Employee #1 reached approximately 80 ft above the ground, the roof above the I-beam collapsed. The piece of the beam that was attached to the Hi-Lo arm swung out and hit Employee #1 in the back of the neck area, pushing him against the controls of the aerial lift. The owner of the company went to the lower controls of the aerial lift and lowered the basket to the ground. By the time the basket was on the ground, the plant nurses and first responders were on site and started medical attention on Employee #1. Emergency medical personnel transported Employee #1 to a county hospital. Employee #1 had received multiple blunt force injuries to the head, neck, and chest and died at the hospital.

Keywords: CHEST, HEAD, STEEL BEAM, ROOF, UNSECURED, NECK, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, AERIAL LIFT