Conveyor Accident

Metal Conveyor Belt Slides Down Incline Crushing Supervisor -- Iowa.

Summary

A 35-year-old supervisor from an out-of-state manufacturing company was killed

while he was overseeing the installation of a heavy metal conveyor belt at a
recycling plant. This conveyor system was designed to move recycled materials
from ground level to a new elevated sorting line. Installation workers were
assembling the metal conveyor belt at ground level and pulling it up a 30 degree
incline using hand operated winches. When the conveyor belt reached the top of the
incline, the workers proceeded to rearrange their winches to pull the belt around
the top roller. To hold the conveyor belt in place while adjusting they attached a
safety chain to a 2"x2" piece of angle iron which was welded temporarily to a 4"x4"
angle iron sweep on the conveyor. They had repeated the same procedure earlier
when the conveyor was in lower positions without problems.

However, at this time, because of jerky movements, the welded attachment point
failed, and the entire conveyor belt immediately slid down the incline and bunched
up on the ground level. The temporary weld was not able to withstand the added
force from the heavy metal conveyor belt on the full length of the incline. The
victim was standing on or walking over the conveyor at ground level when the weld
failed. He was knocked down and dragged through a narrow space between the belt
and the conveyor frame, causing extensive crush injuries to his truck and
extremities. An ambulance was located across the street and arrived within two
minutes, however due to the extent of his injuries, the man was dead on arrival at
the local hospital.

Recommendations following the FACE investigation were:

1. The manufacturer should establish a written procedure for safe installation

and maintenance of conveyor belts, trying to identify dangerous times during
the installation process.

2. The manufacturer should train all installation and maintenance workers to

follow safe working procedures.

Introduction

In 1995 a supervisor from an out-of-state manufacturing company was killed while

overseeing the installation of a new conveyor belt for a recycling plant in Iowa. The
Iowa FACE program became aware of the incident from the State Medical
Examiners office, and two investigators from the Iowa FACE program conducted a
site visit and took photographs of the conveyor system, which was fully installed at
that time. Other sources of information included the Iowa Division of Labor, a local
newspaper, and interviews with both out-of-state companies.
This accident involved three separate companies: the recycling plant, the conveyor
manufacturer, and the installation company. The victim was working for the
manufacturing company which manufactures several types of recycling equipment,
including conveyors and material crushers. They have been in business for 20 years
and have 80 employees at their out-of-state manufacturing location. The victim was
one of three customer service technicians who were experienced in equipment
installation and repair. He had been employed by the company for the past 13
years, having been in his current position for 3 years, and having supervised the
installation of 10 similar conveyor belts.

The manufacturer had no written safety procedures in place for installation of the
ground-feed conveyor belts, nor was there formal safety training associated with
the installation. Each supervisor was trained on-the-job during several installations.
This had been sufficient for many years without incident. One company executive
stated he had not heard of this type of accident anywhere in the entire recycling
industry. This was the companys first occupational fatality.

Investigation

This recycling plant was in the process of building a new elevated sorting line for
recyclable materials. The sorting line was designed to be fed from the ground level
by a heavy duty steel conveyor belt that rises at a 30 degree slope up a 44 foot
long incline to the height of ~18 feet. The belt was 152 feet long and 5 feet wide
and made of inch thick steel plate sections measuring 5 feet wide by 9 inches
long. Each 9 inch plate is hinged to the adjacent plate, with the ends attached to a
heavy chain with rollers. There was a 4"x4" angle iron sweep attached to the
conveyor section every six feet along its length.

The plant had ordered the sorting line from a manufacturer, which had contracted
another company to do the installation. The installation company had previous
experience of similar installations. The victim was called to the recycling plant to
oversee the assembly and installation of the conveyor belt, and instruct the
installation companys crew of 8-10 men on site.

On the day of the accident 85 feet of the belt had been assembled and pulled up
the incline with 2 portable 1 ton chain hoists attached to nylon slings which were
attached to the leading edge of the metal belt. The hoists allowed the belt to be
pulled up 12 feet before they had to readjust their rigging to pull again. During
readjusting the belt was held in place by a chain attached to the first 4"x4" sweep
of the belt. The attachment point was a 2 inch long piece of 2"x2" angle iron which
had a torched hole in one side for attachment of the chain. This angle iron piece
was temporarily welded in the middle of the first 4"x4" angle iron sweep.

The crew proceeded as usual pulling the belt section by section up towards the top
of the incline readjusting the rigging several times in the process. At the top they
had to readjust their rigging again to pull the belt around the head roller and back
down to the opposite direction. They attached the chain in the same fashion as
before, but when they released their chain hoists the stress on the small piece of
2"x2" angle iron was too great and it snapped off its welded attachment to the
4"x4" angle iron sweep and the entire belt rapidly slid down the incline and bunched
up at the ground level.

The victim was apparently standing, kneeling, or walking across the belt when this
happened and was dragged under a 4"x4" angle iron frame cross member located
above the belt at ground level. The clearance from the belt to this cross member
was 5 inches with one inch between the top of the sweep and the cross member.
The force of the impact bent the 4x4 angle iron cross member backward and
upward several inches. The victim suffered extensive crushing injuries to his
extremities, pelvis, and internal organs. An ambulance was office across the street
and was at the site within 2 minutes, but the man was unresponsive and was dead
on arrival at the local hospital.

There were no direct eyewitnesses who saw the victim just prior to the accident. It
is assumed that he was standing on the belt checking its alignment while it was
stationary during the rigging change. Company officials stated that it is a common
practice to eyeball the installation from this position to assure proper alignment. All
procedures of this installation were directed by the victim, including the creation of
the 2x2 angle iron piece that failed. IOSH investigations observed no violations of
safety procedures and issued no citations to any of the 3 companies involved in this
incident.

Our on-site investigation took place several weeks after the accident. The belt had
been completely installed but was not yet operational. We observed the 2 inch
piece of 2x2 angle iron and saw the weld points that had failed. The weld was rough
and incomplete; it appeared that the welding was done with excessive voltage
burning through the metal and leaving only little solid welding to hold the piece.
This may have been intentional because this piece was to be removed later and the
sweep should remain smooth and clear of obstructions. The welding was strong
enough to hold the belt in place during previous rigging, however, at this point the
force was at its greatest because the belt was pulled all the way up and there was
no counter force from part of the belt being over the top roller. Slight slack in the
rigging caused a jerking of the safety chain when the rigging was changed. The
weak weld was the cause of the accident; however no citations were issued by
IOSH, for there are no regulations concerning temporary welding of this type.

Cause of Death

The cause of death from the county medical examiners report was "massive
trauma to trunk and extremities due to accident". There was no autopsy performed
and all blood and fluid tests were negative.

Recommendations / Discussion

Recommendation #1 the manufacturer should establish a written procedure for

safe installation and maintenance of conveyor belts, trying to identify dangerous
times during the installation process.
Discussion: The installation process included using a temporarily welded
attachment, which failed. A more reliable method should be developed. In addition
the manufacturer should thoroughly analyze all hazards related to the installation
and maintenance of their conveyer belts, and establish written safe procedures to
avoid future accidents. This procedure should include safe methods for assembling
the belt, pulling it up the incline, holding it securely in place at all times during
installation, and avoiding crush points such as the frame cross member when
possible.

The manufacturer in this case has lately developed an "installation kit" that consists
of a special lead section of the belt that is designed only for installation. This
section has solid anchors for winches and safety chains, designed to adequately
hold the belt through the rigorous process of installation. In addition this company
has included anti-rollback stops along the incline itself which act as a ratchet to
stop any reverse movement of the belt anytime during installation or operation of
the belt. They have also decided to install the 4x4 angle iron frame
support after the belt is installed removing a possible crush point.

Recommendation #2 the manufacturer should train all installation and

maintenance workers to follow safe working procedures.

Discussion: The installation supervisor and the crew were not adequately aware of
the hazards related to the installation. The manufacturer should provide training for
its own employees in the use of new safe installation methods. The manufacturer
should also ensure that any other company possibly being contracted to do the
installation also provides similar training to its employees and follows a safe
installation procedure. This training should be documented and the manufacturer
should ensure that the installation of any of their conveyors has a trained and
qualified supervisor who has been trained in these safe installation procedures.

Forklift

Female warehouse worker, 49, crushed to death by a forklift truck loading

pallets of Pringles

A woman was crushed to death by a forklift truck loading packets of Pringles, an

inquest has heard.

Ann Brennan, 49, died following the accident, where she became trapped under a
forklift truck loading pallets of the snacks in Bristol.

An inquest into her death heard that the warehouse, in the Avon mouth area of the
city, had several previous 'near-misses'.

Coroner Gail Elliman today recorded a death of accidental death after half an hour
of deliberation from the jury.
Annies Sister Deborah Teagle, 51, said: 'Annie was such a bubbly, selfless
character and she was a rock for the family, looking out for us all and caring for our
dad.

'She enjoyed her job at the factory and had been there most of her working life.
She was very loyal.
'When we received the call to say what had happened we were just in complete
shock. It didnt feel real that Annie, who was always so full of life, was gone.

'The emergency services and air ambulance were amazing and did everything they
could to try and save her and we want to thank them for the amazing service they
provide. Sadly, nothing could be done for Annie, but they save thousands of other
lives every year.

'It has been very difficult to hear that safety precautions were lacking at the
warehouse which may have saved Annie but we hope changes have been made at
the warehouse and are working to protect other employees.
'Nothing will bring Annie back but it would give us some peace of mind to know her
death was not completely in vain.'
A Bristol City Council investigation into health and safety at the warehouse is on-
going and is likely to take another several months to conclude.

During the inquest a safety inspector said he had seen staff using loading
equipment as scooters at Booker Wholesale cash and carry, in Avon mouth, as he
studied CCTV recordings after the death of the warehouse assistant in 2011.

There was no speed limit and no segregation between pedestrians and vehicles in
the loading bay where the fatal incident occurred.

Ms. Brennan, a keen amateur rugby player, died after becoming trapped under a
gas-powered forklift truck as it reversed in the warehouse in December 2011.

Paramedics found her heart had stopped when they arrived and she was not
breathing.
She was resuscitated on the way to Frenchay Hospital in the air ambulance but died
from multiple fractures and internal injuries shortly after arriving.

An inquest at Flax Bourbon Coroner's Court yesterday heard that Ms. Brennan was
struck by a forklift truck driven by replenishment supervisor Ben Morris.

Mr. Morris described how he was loading pallets of Pringles into the back of a lorry
ready for delivery when the incident happened.

He said: 'As I was reversing round I looked over my shoulder and I couldn't see
anything. Then I felt the rear left wheel lift up in the air.

'I slammed the brake on and I jumped out of the forklift and started screaming and
that's all I can remember.'
Booker area manager Stephen French said he was at the store's front reception
when he heard what had happened. When he arrived he found staff trying to lift the
forklift off of Ms. Brennan, which he said would have been impossible.

He said: 'It couldn't be done, but under the circumstances people were just trying
to do whatever they could.'
Mr. French was then questioned about health and safety measures in the
warehouse, admitting there was 'no segregation policy at that time' between
pedestrians and vehicles.

He added there was 'no existing policy in the goods-in area' and 'no speed limit'.

Ronald Crandon, the driver of the lorry which was being loaded at the time of the
incident, told the court he had witnessed incidents in the past. He also added that
he believed there were safety measures in place.

Mr. Crandon said he had seen a 'near miss' and had a 'bump' with a forklift while
using a pallet truck, which had led to lines being drawn to segregate pedestrians.

But Bristol City Council health and safety inspector Paul Tregale said there were no
such measures in place.
He told the coroner it was the responsibility of the employer to prepare their work
place to avoid contact by separating pedestrians from vehicles.

Mr. Tregale said: 'There were no specific walkways for pedestrians and no marked
areas.
'As far as I am aware there was nothing to separate the vehicles and pedestrians.

'Most of the staff wasnt aware of the risk assessment in that area. The only control
measure, if you can call it that, is to be aware that forklifts are operating.'

During his investigation Mr. Tregale looked back at a random sample of working
days through the company's CCTV.
He noted an 'untidy' warehouse with 'vehicles working in very close proximity to
pedestrians'.
He added that there were no high visibility jackets being worn in the heavily
stocked area and on one occasion he saw members of staff 'using a hand truck as a
scooter'.

Crane Accidents

Arlington, Texas

A Rough Terrain crane overturned in Arlington, Texas yesterday pulling overhead

power lines down onto the Highway.

A Rough Terrain crane overturned in Arlington Texas yesterday pulling overhead

power lines down onto the Interstate 30 highway halfway between Forth Worth and
Dallas. The crane, a larger Lorain, was working on a road job constructing a new
overpass when it overturned. Fortunately no one was hurt, although the highway
was closed in both directions while the power lines were properly deactivated.

The cranes outriggers were correctly set up with mats under the pads. It looks as
though the cause must be down to overloading, although we do not know what it
was lifting at the time, but photos show that the boom came down into an open top
shipping container. We will update when we learn more.

Atlanta, Georgia

A boom truck lifting roof trusses on a new housing estate/sub division building site
in Forsyth County, North East of Atlanta, Georgia, touched a 115,000 volt
transmission line on Wednesday, sending the power down through the crane to
earth. But along the way it struck two men working alongside the crane.

Both men were very badly burnt and were airlifted to hospital in Atlanta where they
are said to be in a very serious condition. An Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) inspector visited the site and conducted an investigation.
Other construction workers who witnessed the incident were said to be extremely
traumatized and were sent home. The crane, amid sized Manatee working with fully
extended four section boom was undamaged.

Heiligenhaus, Germany

A five axle All Terrain crane ran away on Tuesday in a street in Heiligenhaus,
German roughly halfway between Dusseldorf and Wuppertal.

The crane, a Grove owned by Schares, had arrived in the town early on Tuesday
morning to carry out a lift at a local transformer station. The operator had extended
the outrigger beams fully on one side, and partially lowered the jacks, he then
raised the boom and was preparing to place mats under the jacks, when the crane
began to roll backwards down the slope. It ran over a lawn, and struck a parked car
turning it onto its side, before catching a second car.

Thankfully no one was injured in the incident, and most of the damage was limited
to the garden and the two cars.

Sources:

http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/face/Reports/REPORT-010.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2299305/Female-warehouse-worker-Ann-
Brennan-49-crushed-death-forklift-truck-loading-pallets-PRINGLES.html

http://www.craneaccidents.com/