Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for New Jersey: Construction Worker Struck and Killed by a Pile Falling From a Crane

摘要

On February 4, 2003, a 35-year-old construction worker died when a 2,000-pound steel pile being raised by a crane fell and struck him. The incident occurred at the construction site of a new concrete bridge replacing an old timber bridge that spanned a reservoir in a residential community. The construction required driving piles (wood or steel columns) into the soft mud and earth near the lakeshore to provide a solid base for constructing the bridge. On the day of the incident, the crew was preparing to drive a test pile when a rainstorm interrupted work. It rained only a short time, and the crew returned to work. Following his usual procedure, the operator tested the crane before starting to raise the pile. The crane line lost tension as the pile was lifted, causing a series of events that severed the nylon choker slings holding the pile. The pile fell, striking the victim who was standing nearby to position a compressed air hose.