Construction Fatality Narrative: Laborer Struck by Temporary Steel Shoring Tower Parts [2020]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  A 54-year-old laborer died of injuries after he was struck by falling parts of a steel tower shoring system as he was dismantling it. The laborer's employer was a general engineering contractor that was working on a light rail project. On the day of the incident, the laborer was the lead worker. He and two other workers were disassembling steel tower frames of a temporary shoring system for forms that had been used to construct concrete pillars to support an elevated light rail line. As the crew was working, they experienced a problem that prevented easy disassembly of two coupled steel frames. The two frames could not be separated due to the binding of steel pins used to connect the shore tower sections. A member of the crew had been using a forklift to hold the frames upright. The laborer instructed him to move the forklift away from the frames. The laborer then attempted to free the pins by using a sledgehammer to knock the pins out. After he hammered out the last pin, the two coupled 690-pound frame sections fell on him as he stepped into their path. He was hospitalized with head injuries. He died four months later. Investigators found that although the laborer had been trained by his employer, was provided with the shore tower manufacturer's instructions, and had access to company engineers and other knowledgeable employees for consultation on how to proceed safely, he chose to use an unsafe method to take apart the tower sections. Safe methods of disassembling the shore tower parts would include the use of a forklift or crane to stabilize the shore tower parts while a worker removes the pins connecting the frames. RECOMMENDATIONS: FACE investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences: Workers must follow manufacturer's instructions for disassembly of shoring systems, and any supplemental instructions provided by the employer; such as a hazard assessment or on-the-job instructions, when specially prepared by the employer's mechanical and safety engineers. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Environmental Exposure Men Mortality Occupational Health Preventive Medicine Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Staff Development Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Construction Construction Industry Exposure Levels Fatalities Forklifts Hazards Humans Preventive Measures Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Culture Safety Practices Training Work Environment Workers

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• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061184
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-200-2020, 2020 Oct; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Construction fatality narrative: laborer struck by temporary steel shoring tower parts
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4efecd779eb328ff648de986a56eabda2053dcc35762fb239a32538ec8663466ce5b25b8411548651c3c1e3744014d44fecc69cef06f34a4fccd8e856e073f3e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229048/cdc_229048_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 291.93 KB ]