OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14552772
FRACTURE,GUARDRAIL,IRON WORKER,WORK RULES,SAFETY BELT,CONSTRUCTION,SCAFFOLD COLLAPSE,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,NET
Event description
Employee killed, another injured in scaffold collapse
Investigation abstract
Employees #1 and #2, iron workers, were working from suspended traveler scaffold re used. The trolley supports were designed to be attached to turnbuckles, which had beam clamps at the top and were secured to the bridge stringers with 8 in. long bolts and 3/4 in. nuts. The bottom of the turnbuckle was connected to 2 ton capacity trolleys. The trolleys were positioned onto the platform trolley suppo rt I-beams. Trolley wheels beneath the top flanges of the support beams suspende d the platform. The scaffold platform was moved approximately 5 ft at a time by a rope and block come-along or wire rope tear fall, and then the fifth trolley s upport was repositioned at the leading edges of the scaffold. Employees #1 and # 2 had advanced the south platform and were repositioning the trolley support bea m clamps when the trolley supports detached from the I-beam. Employee #1 fell in ing, removing deteriorated rivets from the structural steel beneath the Outerbri to the water below and was killed. Employee #2 jumped and grabbed the overhead s tructural steel wind bracing. The scaffold, still anchored by three trolley supp orts at the northeast corner, swung in and struck Employee #2's right leg, fract uring it. The platform swung in again and hit Employee #2's left leg, causing li gament injuries. Employee #2 managed to climb to the top of the steel, where he was rescued. Investigation revealed that neither the employer nor the employees received any safety training regarding the suspended traveler scaffolds. None of the employees were familiar with its operation or had worked on this type of sc affolding. The employer and employees used their own methods to advance the work platforms. In addition, the employer had improperly modified the scaffolds and dge Crossing. Two 35 ft wide by 20 ft long scaffolds were positioned parallel to had not provided guard railings, safety belts, safety nets, or a life saving ski ff. one another, and were 135 ft above the water on the north and south sides of th e 47 ft span. The scaffolds were designed in 1971 specifically for bridge painti ng and maintenance. This contractor was using the scaffolding to perform structu ral steel work. Each platform weighed approximately 3,000 lb and was designed to be suspended from 10 trolley supports, except while the platform was being move d. At that time, four trolley supports per support beam, or a total of eight, we
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 52 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 43 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 16
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
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