Employee #1 was working with a crew of five other employees performing pile-driving operations. Two different phases of the operation were in progress at the same time: pile hammering and material handling (preparing sheet piling for hammering).
Employee #1 was operating the control panel on the vibrating hammer when he was struck by a falling piece of sheet piling that was being handled by a setup crew for the next pile to be driven. The piece of sheet pile was thought by the crane operator to be connected to the shackle clamp for a placement lift. It was actually prepared for a separation lift from a stock pile.
The 35-foot piece of sheet piling, which weighed 1,200 pounds, slipped out of its temporary lifting device, causing the piling to free-fall and strike Employee #1 on the head. He died from severe head injuries.
What went wrong?
The report stated that cause of the accident was a misjudgment of the crane operator, but the responsibility rests with the foreman, lift supervisor or safety officer—or with the contractor if there wasn’t anyone charged with monitoring safety conditions.
