Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307170407 - Parsec

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:00 a.m. on November 15, 2006, Employee #1, a grounds keeper for a company that loads and unloads large shipping containers for the railroad industry, was working with a coworker to load shipping containers onto rail cars. The company's operations include the use of container trucks for moving truck chassis, industrial trucks and rubber-tired gantry cranes for loading and unloading containers from trucks and railcars. Employee #1 had worked for the employer for about 2.5 months. Following the completion of loading the first layer of containers and beginning the loading of a second layer, Employee #1 was on the ground unlocking containers to be hoisted by his coworker, who was operating a Taylor rubber-tired gantry crane, Serial Number, S-F7-30144. As the coworker loaded a container onto a railcar and positioned his crane over a container, weighing 32,751 lbs., Employee #1 locked the twist locks on the load block of the crane into the container. Employee #1 then walked to the truck's chassis to unlock a container from the truck, which could only be freed by releasing two twist locks at the back of the chassis. He unlocked the twist lock on the left and then proceeded to release the lock on the right, where visual contact was obstructed between Employee #1 and the crane operator. While attempting to unlock the second twist lock, the container became unstable, rocking back and forth. Employee #1's left index finger became crushed between the chassis and the container. The accident investigation determined that the accident was caused by the container being lifted from the truck chassis, while Employee #1 was out of site attempting to unlock the container. Both Employee #1 and his coworker were trained by the employer in safe lifting operations. However, there were no additional methods of communication, such as a radio, requiring Employee #1 and his coworker to solely rely on visual communication and hand signals.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, FINGER, OBSTRUCTED VIEW, PINNED, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, MANUAL MAT HANDLING, CONTAINERIZED CARGO