Big Beam Crushes Worker

A large steel beam fell from a storage crib and crushed a worker to death. The fatality happened when a crane operator was positioning the structural steel building beam on a rack for storage before it was used in building a power plant.

A second worker on the ground signaled the crane operator to pull the sling from around the beam. The victim then tried to remove the shackle from the beam.

A fitting on the sling caught, and the beam tipped off the cribbing.

Training in safe work procedures and close supervision are two important strategies for preventing incidents like this. The area should have been free of workers before the signaler told the crane operator to move. Make sure you know the position of all co-workers when moving materials with powered equipment and rigging.