MEC&F Expert Engineers : 02/08/15

Sunday, February 8, 2015

FATHER, SON KILLED IN PICKUP TRUCK CRASH IN WESTERN INDIANA. THEY WERE NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS AND SPEED APPEARS TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AS THE TRUCK HIT AN OVERHEAD BRIDGE WHICH IS ABOUT 14 FEET HIGH.



FATHER, SON KILLED IN PICKUP TRUCK CRASH IN WESTERN INDIANA.  THEY WERE NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS AND SPEED APPEARS TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AS THE TRUCK HIT AN OVERHEAD BRIDGE WHICH IS ABOUT 14 FEET HIGH.


February 8, 2015

BLANFORD, INDIANA (AP) — 

A 56-year-old man and his 24-year-old son died after being ejected from a pickup truck in a single-vehicle crash in western Indiana.

Vermillion County Sheriff Mike Phelps says Dennis Church was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near Blanford in Vermillion County, about 20 miles north of Terre Haute. His son, Dennis Church Jr. died at Union Hospital in Clinton. Both men were from Clinton.

Authorities say the pickup truck went off the road travelling about 235 feet and struck a guardrail.  It then travelled an additional 180 feet along the guardrail before striking the bridge abutment. 

The truck flipped into the air and struck an overhead bridge, which is about 14 feet high. 

The crash remains under investigation. Authorities say they believe speed was a contributing factor in the crash.

YOUNG WAREHOUSE WORKER KILLED BY BACKING FORKLIFT



  A narrow-aisle stand-up lift truck was backing down a warehouse aisle with a loaded pallet when the warehouse clerk in this incident walked into the aisle





YOUNG WAREHOUSE WORKER KILLED BY BACKING FORKLIFT





 An 18-year-old warehouse receiving clerk was killed after a loaded forklift struck him in a warehouse aisle. The clerk and the forklift operator were working together to prepare newly received merchandise for storage and shipment. 




After a morning break, the forklift operator drove into the storage area, loaded the last pallet, and began backing down the aisle at a slight angle.  Looking over his shoulder, the operator saw the warehouse clerk walking up the aisle toward him. 



The operator yelled at the clerk, made eye contact, and hit the brakes and tried to steer away. The forklift struck the warehouse clerk and pinned him against a metal shelf. 




First aid was provided while waiting for emergency responders. The victim died on the way to the hospital.






 CAUSE OF DEATH:



Severe blunt chest trauma 



RECOMMENDATIONS:



Forklift operators must always look in the direction of travel and keep a clear view.



• Employers must ensure that workers know to stay clear of operating forklifts.



• Employers should closely supervise new workers to reinforce safe work practices.





ALWAYS REMEMBER:
WHEN AN EMPLOYEE IS KILLED OR INJURED BY A PREVENTABLE WORKPLACE HAZARD, THIS IS NO ACCIDENT.  IT MEANS THE EMPLOYER FAILED TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM DANGERS THAT CAN CAUSE INJURY, ILLNESS OR, NEEDLESS DEATH

OPERATOR DIES AFTER EXCAVATOR TIPS OVER THE SIDE OF A BRIDGE INTO RIVER



 


OPERATOR DIES AFTER EXCAVATOR TIPS OVER THE SIDE OF A BRIDGE INTO RIVER




A 62-year-old equipment operator was fatally injured when the hydraulic excavator he was operating tipped over the side of a bridge, falling 60 feet into the river below.  The operator was working on the demolition of the bridge by removing cut concrete slabs from the bridge deck. 


The employer is a construction company that primarily builds and restores bridges. They are also involved in other construction work, including erecting concrete and steel structures. They have been in business since 1964, operate in six western states, and employ approximately 200 fulltime employees. The employer also hires temporary equipment operators from the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) for specific projects.


He was using the hydraulic excavator which was equipped with a type of bucket attachment (Slab Crab) designed for bridge deck and concrete slab removal work. He was removing the concrete slabs in order to position them for removal.

On the fatal lift, the concrete slab was freely suspended from the Slab Crab with a two leg bridle chain sling. In order to clear the guardrail, the operator extended the arm of the excavator to raise the load. 



This caused the load to exceed the excavator’s load limit radius. The excavator became unbalanced and tipped towards the edge of the bridge deck. The operator attempted to correct the imbalance by arming-in, or decreasing the distance of the load from the excavator.


However, arming in the load caused the excavator to slide towards the edge of the bridge. The operator was trying to get out of the cab when the excavator tipped over the edge of the bridge. 


Workers immediately activated the emergency response protocols. The operator was retrieved from the river in less than 10 minutes and CPR was performed in the rescue boat. EMS arrived at the scene within 15 minutes. 


The operator was pronounced dead at the hospital approximately 1½ hours after the excavator tipped over the bridge. 




To prevent similar incidents, our investigators recommend that: 


Employers:

• Plan excavator picks to ensure that the stability of the machine can be maintained by the operator while lifting freely suspended loads.

• Ensure that operators participate in project and task pre-planning Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) activities.

• Consider installing an audible and/or visual load safety warning device or a safe load indicator to alert the equipment operator before the object handling capacity or load moment is reached.



Operators:

• Perform a JHA on any changes in the intended work plan prior to changing the operational work plan.

• Communicate with riggers to address any lift that does not follow the intended lifting plan. 





ALWAYS REMEMBER:
WHEN AN EMPLOYEE IS KILLED OR INJURED BY A PREVENTABLE WORKPLACE HAZARD, THIS IS NO ACCIDENT.  IT MEANS THE EMPLOYER FAILED TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM DANGERS THAT CAN CAUSE INJURY, ILLNESS OR, NEEDLESS DEATH