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JICOSH Home > Case Studies > Case No.63
Case No.63

Steel plate slipped free of wire hook while the plate was unloaded from truck using a drag shovel
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[Description of the Accident]

Steel plates that had been used at a construction site were transported back to the leasing company. During work to unload the plates from the truck by using a drag shovel, a sheet of plate slipped free of the hook and hit a sling worker.

In the morning on the day of the accident, a truck conductor of the company instructed the victim by radio to go to a construction site and pick up some steel plates, and to transport them back to the thier company. The victim drove a truck equipped with small crane to the site, loaded the10 steel plates on the truck by using the crane, and then drove to the designated leasing company.

The unloading work was started right after arriving at the leasing company. The manager of the leasing company operated the drag shovel, and the victim took the slinging work. When they unloaded the third plate, the suspended plate started swaying due to the strong wind. To stop the sway, they rested one end of the plate on the pile of plates that had been unloaded. As the weight was released, the hook suddenly broke free of the plate, which crashed onto the victim who had been standing nearby in preparation for the sling work.
[Causes supposed]

1. Allowing unqualified persons to operate the drag shovel and to carry out the sling work.

2. Although a mobile crane should be used for loading and unloading, an attempt was made to do the work by using a drag shovel, which was not designed for such purpose.

3. The work was carried out in spite of the fact that there were strong winds over 10 meters per second.
[Type of business] Land freight transportation
[Caused by] Excavation machinery
[Type of accident] Crushed by falling object
[Number of victims] One fatality
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