Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310843768 - Eagle River Homes, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Harrisburg Area Office

Investigation Summary

An employee who worked in the roof department of a modular home manufacturer had just finished moving a roof, consisting of rafters, drywall, and insulation, from the ceiling pit area onto a home. The employee used a three-girder bridge crane, with an underhung hoist traveling along each girder, to move the roof. The roof was attached to the hoists with a below-the-hook lifting device. After setting the roof on the house, the employee moved the crane north, back to the adjacent ceiling pit area, using one pendant controller for the crane. In his other hand, the employee held a second pendant controller, which moved the hoists east and west and moved the hoists off the bridge girders onto interlocking, fixed monorail tracks. This second pendant controller also moved the hoists up and down. The employee depressed the button that moved the hoists east. Because none of the three bridge girders had stops at either end and because they were not interlocked into the monorail tracks, the hoists ran off the east end of the bridge girders, dropping the lifting device onto the employee. Coworkers administered first aid until emergency medical services arrived and transported the injured employee to a hospital. Unfortunately, the employee later died of his injuries.

Keywords: CRUSHED, OVERHEAD CRANE, CRANE OPERATOR, FALLING OBJECT, LIMIT SWITCH, CRANE