Michigan Construction Project Accident Results In Death

Description Of The Accident:
On the day of the accident, Jack J. Barron, Jr., victim, reported to the North Pit construction site at approximately 9:00 a.m., with his truck and lowboy trailer. Barron met with contractor Doug Bates and his two employees, Brad Newby and Rich Athey. Bates asked Barron to position his lowboy so that the first conveyor section could be loaded. Barron positioned the lowboy trailer then sat in the cab of the hoist utility truck while the others loaded the first conveyor section.

The second conveyor was lifted with the utility boom truck and Barron was asked to turn the lowboy around and back it under the suspended conveyor. While backing in, the first conveyor loaded on the lowboy caught the suspended conveyor and the trailer had to be repositioned. Barron moved the trailer into position then dismounted the truck and walked around to the side of the lowboy. Newby had positioned himself on the cab end of the lowboy and Athey was on the ground at the rear. Both men were pushing on the suspended conveyor in an attempt to align it on the trailer. Bates was operating the hoist from the rear of the utility truck. Barron was standing near Newby, but alongside the conveyor, and also began pushing on the conveyor.

While the Deltaic employees and Barron were pushing on the conveyor, the truck hoist wire rope pulled through the clamps attaching it to the weighted hook and the conveyor fell. It struck the lowboy trailer, then rolled over and pinned Barron beneath it. The conveyor also caught Athey's clothing and knocked him to his knees but he was not injured.

Bates lowered the hoist boom on the truck and Newby attached a chain to the conveyor and directly to the boom. Bates lifted the conveyor off of Barron and him and Newby began cardiopulmonary resuscitation while Athey went for help.

The police and emergency medical personnel arrived a short time later and transported Barron to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be chest trauma.

Violations:
Citation No. 4546330
The boom truck was defective in that the hook attachments were improper.

Citation No. 4546331 
1981 International Harvester S-180 boom truck, Model 1854, being used to lift a 40 foot section of portable conveyor frame onto a flatbed trailer, was defective in that the hook rigging assembly on the boom truck had the following defects: the wire rope was not properly attached to the crane hoist hook; the wire rope clamps were of improper size and construction; the wire rope clamp bolts had not been torqued; and two, rather then three, clamps were installed on the hook assembly. These factors combined with the weight of the conveyor frame, caused the wire rope to pull through the clamps and resulted in a contract truck driver being fatally injured.

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