Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125724591 - Champion Industrial Contractors Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 20, 2001, Employee #1 was assisting with the welding of pipe sections on a pipe support bridge 33 ft above ground level. A 1,600-lb section of pipe had been set in place (but not secured) the previous day. Employee # 1 and a coworker were to perform their usual task of first welding the unsecured pipe to the end of a secured one already in place. This first step stabilizes and secures the pipe for alignment and attachment of support clips around the pipe's three shoes that were to be welded to the pipe bridge support beams. However, they discovered that the pipe's protective ring had not been removed prior to setting the pipe in place, as should be routine. Since there wasn't sufficient clearance between the ends of the two pipes, they had to move the unsecured pipe back a couple of inches in order to remove the ring. Although they did not secure the pipe prior to moving it, they successfully removed the ring without incident. However, during their attempt to move the unsupported pipe back into its original position, it fell off its support shoes and began to slide off the beam. Employee #1 fell with the pipe section because his personal fall restraint equipment was attached to it. Employee #1 sustained multiple blunt traumas to the body, including closed head injury, and died. The accident was caused by failure to properly secure the pipe before attempting to move it, and failure to tie-off personal fall restraint equipment to a secured anchorage point.

Keywords: ANCHOR, BEAM, HEAD, UNSECURED, WELDER, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, PIPE, BRIDGE, TIE-OFF