OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14549695
ALCOA INC
ALCOA, TN—
Event description
ORCHARD CRANE "TWO-BLOCKED", BLOCK FELL, STRIKING EMPLOYEES
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE PART OF A FIVE MAN CREW WHICH WAS CHANGING AN 18 INCH F COUNTERWEIGHT. THE BLOCK CONTINUED UPWARD, CONTACTING THE DRUM. THE WIRE ROPE B ROKE, ALLOWING THE 700 POUND BLOCK/HOOK TO FALL INTO THE BASKET CONTAINING EMPLO YEES #1 AND #2. EMPLOYEE #1 RECEIVED CRITICAL INJURIES. EMPLOYEE #2 RECEIVED MIN OR INJURIES. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED POOR CRANE MAINTENANCE, INADEQUAT E TRAINING OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, UNSAFE WORK PRACTICES AND INAD EQUATE RECORD KEEPING PROCEDURES. EED ROLL IN AN ALUMINUM RECYCLING BUILDING. THE TWO EMPLOYEES WERE IN THE BASKET OF A HYDRAULIC WORK PLATFORM WHICH WAS SUSPENDED ABOUT 12 FEET ABOVE FLOOR LEVE L. EMPLOYEE #2 WAS OPERATING THE CRANE BY RADIO CONTROL. THERE WAS NO LOAD ON TH E CRANE. WITH THE CRANE BLOCK DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BASKET, EMPLOYEE #2 RAISED THE BLOCK AT FULL SPEED. THE BLOCK, WHICH HAD A DAMAGED TRIPPAN (BENT APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES BELOW HORIZONTAL) CONTACTED THE COUNTERWEIGHT FOR THE LIMIT SWITCH. T HE LIMIT SWITCH COUNTERWEIGHT SLID OFF THE BENT TRIPPAN, PARTIALLY DUE TO A BROK EN COUNTERWEIGHT "HAIRPIN", WHICH FAILED TO LIMIT THE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT OF THE
Victims (2)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 46 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 24
- Occupation code
- 518
- Human factor
- 9
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 42 M
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 17
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 24
- Occupation code
- 518
- Human factor
- 9
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
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