Inspection Detail

Inspection: 3320520 - Herndon Concrete Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Manassas (Regional Office)- Safety 0355114

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was using a Drott 2500 Cruz-Crane, serial #154, to position a 40,000-lb concrete mixer onto some heavy timber dunnage. Coworkers were on the ground guiding the mixer into place. The crane was level, with its outriggers fully extended on pads of heavy 12-in. by 12in. timbers and all four wheels completely off the ground. According to the boom angle indicator, the boom was extended 50 ft at a 71 degree angle. The mixer was supposedly out over the right front outrigger (approximate radius of 19 ft 6 in.), although eyewitnesses stated that the mixer was actually touching the outrigger. The mixer was approximately 6 in. off the ground when a loud pop was heard. Employee #1 looked around trying to identify what he had heard, and then began to stand up. Suddenly the crane cab broke loose from the carriage, turning on its right side with such force that the operator was ejected. He landed on his upper body, approximately 20 ft from the crane's carriage. Employee #1 sustained multiple fractures, including cervical disc fractures and massive chest contusions. He was killed. A check of the crane load capacity chart indicated that there was an overload factor of approximately 6,000 lb. A metallurgical analysis of the turntable area indicated stress faults in the turntable ring and in some of the bolts fastening the cab to the carriage. Apparently the lift was opposite the faulty area of the turntable, which, combined with the overload factor, resulted in this accident.

Keywords: EJECTED, FRACTURE, WORK RULES, OVERLOADED, CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, NECK, CONTUSION, CRANE, OVERTURN