Inspection Detail

Inspection: 105682769 - Central Contracting Co., Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Richmond (Regional Office) - Safety 0355111

Investigation Summary

A WORK CREW WAS ASSIGNED THE TASK OF SEPARATING PIECES OF SHEET PILES THAT HAD BEEN MIXED TOGETHER AND OF SORTING THE PIECES INTO STACKS OF GOOD AND SCRAP MATERIAL. BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE MATERIAL, THEY WERE USING A GALION MOBILE CRANE (MODEL 220-S) TO MOVE THE MATERIAL. THE CREW WOULD LIFT THE MATERIAL OFF THE STACK WITH THE CRANE AND WOULD SET IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK AREA. THEN, THEY WOULD HOOK TWO DOZERS AT OPPOSITE ENDS AND PULL THE PIECES APART. THE EMPLOYEES WOULD NEXT USE A TORCH TO CUT OFF ANY DAMAGED PIECES TO BE SCRAPPED AND WOULD USE THE CRANE TO MOVE THE PIECES INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE STORAGE AREAS. THE AREA SELECTED TO STORE THE SCRAP WAS 36 FEET, 8 INCHES BELOW A 34.5-KILOVOLT (19.9-KILOVOLT-TO-GROUND) OVERHEAD POWER LINE. AT ABOUT 4:25 PM, THE LAST OPERATION OF THE DAY (FRIDAY, THE END OF THEIR WORK WEEK) HAD BEEN COMPLETED, AND THE LAST PIECE OF SCRAP HAD BEEN DEPOSITED INTO THE SCRAP PILE. ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES HAD JUST UNHOOKED THE SLINGS FROM THE MATERIAL WHEN THE CRANE OPERATOR MOVED THE BOOM. THE BOOM CONTACTED ONE OF THE OVERHEAD POWER LINES, ELECTROCUTING THE EMPLOYEE, WHO WAS STILL HOLDING THE SLINGS. (THIS WAS THE LAST OPERATION OF THE WEEK. ALL THREE WORKERS IN THE CREW LIVED 2 TO 3 HOURS AWAY FROM THE SITE AND ONLY WENT HOME ON WEEKENDS.)

Keywords: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, BOOM, CRANE BOOM, ELECTROCUTED, E C, CRANE