OSHA Examines Fatal Shipyard Accidents

0:01 the scenes you about to witness depict fatal accidents that occurred while employees were working in shipyards all identifying references have been removed to protect privacy interests please be advised that the depictions may be disturbing and deal with graphic subject matter [Music] two men were unloading steel beams from a trailer using a truck mounted

0:47 crane the Outriggers on the crane were fully extended and set the rigger and his helper walked with each load controlling it with tag lines the CR operator lifted each load and swung the crane to his right about 180° and lowered the beams to the ground during the unloading the foreman approached to talk with the rigger's helper when the unloading was finished the crane operator began to put away the rigging and Stow the crane the foreman left but the rigger's helper remained standing beside the Outrigger as the operator swung the crane into the stowed position the the rigger's helper was crushed between the crane cab and the Outrigger he was

1:33 leaning [Music] against the swing radius of the crane was not barricaded to prevent employees from entering a hazardous Zone the crane operator should have kept visual contact with his helpers at all times an audible signal should be installed on the crane to warn employees of the Crane's [Music] movement a 45 ton hydraulic telescoping crane was being used to move several loads weighing more than 2 tons each the

2:22 crane has a multi-part main line and a single-part auxiliary line the crane operator had experience operating other cranes but had no training on this specific model crane before beginning he asked other crane operators how certain controls worked he did not understand their instructions he practiced raising and lowering the main hook and extended and retracted the Boom for 15 minutes during this time alarms were ringing in the cab that the crane operator did not understand he was eventually able to shut them off along with the anti-2 block system on the computer a rigger was positioned near the first load to connect the Crane's hook he was inexperienced and undergoing

3:09 his second day of training the crane operator extended the boom to put the hook over the load the lengthened boom put the auxiliary hook and line in a two blocked condition as the boom extended the auxiliary line came under increased tension the rigger noticed a cotter pin fly off he looked up saw the Boom wiggle and turn to run the rigger was struck and killed instantly by the falling auxiliary [Music] hook the crane operator used equipment that he was not trained to operate safety and warning devices were turned off or disabled during

3:56 operations personnel must never work under the Boom hook or loads although not contributing to the fatality workers working near the water's edge must wear personal flotation devices or pfds [Music] two night shift employees were moving lighting and spray painting equipment inside a barge to continue a painting operation employees on the previous shift had been painting in the confined

4:41 space continually for 10 hours the paint mixture being used was flammable the lighting equipment was not explosion proof there was no ventilation and only one Open Access hole painters and laborers constantly entered the confined space without any air monitoring as the two night shift employees set up the equipment a spark ignited the flammable paint Vapors and caused a flash fire both employees were [Music] killed sufficient ventilation would have kept the concentration of flammable Vapors below 10% of the lower explosive

5:27 limit a shipyard company in person should have visually inspected and tested the confined space for oxygen content and lower explosive limits prior to entry by employees and found the flammable atmosphere there should be no plugs or electrical connections within 50 ft of hazardous atmospheres and painting operations explosion proof lighting and equipment must be used when spraying flammable liquids the employer did not make sure that employees entering confined space faes were properly trained to recognize hazards although not contributing to the fatality electrical cords and Open Access holes presented two additional safety hazards electrical cords and

6:12 painting hoses should not be in the way of workers using the ladder clear interference with ladder access as much as possible Open Access holes and decks should be adequately guarded to prevent employees from accidentally falling down them employees were cleaning a confined space on board a vessel using solvents the foreman told them to ventilate the space and dilute any Vapors with an air hose a first shift worker brought in an oxygen hose to ventilate the

6:58 space the oxygen flowed into the compartment for 3 hours a second shift worker entered the confined space smoking a cigarette he threw the cigarette to the deck and it began to burn like a candle when he stepped on the cigarette his shoe and pant leg caught fire the oxygen enriched atmosphere caused the fire to increase rapidly and he was quickly engulfed in flames he died as a result of the burns he received [Music] the worker ventilated the confined space with an air hose to make matters worse the worker used oxygen to ventilate the space never use oxygen to ventilate any

7:43 space use a blower or ventilation fan the confined space was not inspected and tested for air quality and flammability by a shipyard component person prior to entry the employee was smoking in an area where smok was prohibited employees should only smoke in designated areas employers should Place signs where smoking is not [Music]

8:28 permitted a welder and his helper were installing guard rails on a dock the work was being done from a smaller barge that was tied to the dock the smaller barge was moved along the dock as work progressed the helper would hold a section of guard rail in place while the welder would tack weld it the welder would come back later and finish the weld the icy deck made walking and working surfaces very slippery while the welder was finishing several sections his helper reached around the corner of the dock to take a measurement he slipped and fell into the water the welder heard his helper's call and ran to him the welder could not

9:15 reach him and ran to call for help when the welder returned his helper had disappeared beneath the water [Music] there were no training programs in place to prevent falling accidents there were no life Rings available to rescue the drowning employee life rings with at least 90 ft of rope attached must be available and in the vicinity of the work area since few work barges have guard rails to prevent workers from falling in the water workers on them must wear pfds or tie off to a secure structure a ladder should also be available for rest

10:00 an assessment of the work hazards should have been conducted prior to starting work not enough attention was given to the IC working surface conditions pay attention to work surface hazards and Abate them a welder was erecting scaffolding inside a vessel that was under construction the welder attached the scaffolding to the bulkhead using bracket clips that are temporarily tack welded in place the welder was trained and certified to install and weld these type of Clips after he finished assembling the scaffold structure with temporary welds

10:47 the welder walked out onto the scaffold boards one of the bracket Clips failed causing him to fall 18 ft to the deck below he died from massive injuries [Music] the bracket Clips which require full welds were only tack welded the welder should not have climbed onto the scaffolding with tack welded Clips welds must be inspected before a scaffolding structure is placed into use the welder was wearing a body harness but did not tie off all always wear a full body harness and tie off at

11:32 Heights of 5 ft or more when accessing scaffolds ladders should extend 3 ft above scaffold boards [Music] a mechanic needed a workbench mounted grinder and went to the tool room to get one none were available he decided to construct a grinder by modifying an electric buffing wheel he created a mount and attached the buffing motor to

12:19 the bench he removed the buffing wheel installed a grinding wheel in its place and began constructing a guard before the guard was finished he decided to test the grinder he plugged it in and turned it on as the wheel gained speed it reached a point where the centrifugal force caused the wheel to break apart the wheel shattered into pieces striking the mechanic with tremendous Force the mechanic died from multiple wounds to the chest and [Music] abdomen equipment must never be modified for use other than its intended purpose ensure that the grinding wheel

13:04 is appropriate for the RPM rating of the motor spindle and ring test the wheel before it is installed the mechanic used the grinder without the guard in place a grinder must have a guard with a properly adjusted work rest and tongue guard an operator should stand to one side when starting any grinder an operator must always wear eye protection when using a [Music] grinder a welder was tasked to repair a hole in the hull of a barge assisted by two other employees he

13:49 opened the hatch into the compartment where the repair was to be made a welding machine was positioned on Deck near the hatch carrying the welding leads the welder climbed down to the repair site the compartment was flooded with 5 in of water so he quickly became wet he inserted a welding rod into the electrode holder he waited back through the compartment and climbed up to the deck he turned on the welding machine and went below to repair the hole he burned the first rod and dropped the stub into the water he picked up a new welding rod and as he inserted it into the electrode holder he completed the circuit between the electrode holder

14:37 and ground current flowed through his saturated glove through his wet body out his submerged Steel Toad shoes and into the steel deck he was standing on the location of the victim inside the barge made rescue difficult because no rescue equipment was available at the job site the fire department was called they were were not trained in confined space rescue upon arrival they found that the victim was beyond [Music] resuscitation a competent person should check the space prior to entry the water in the space should have been pumped out or board should have been placed above the water for the welder to stand on do not weld while

15:23 standing in water the welder was not properly trained to perform w building operations in wet environments employers must ensure their local fire departments are trained to provide emergency rescue if not Arrangements should be made with other parties to provide this service or employers need to develop their own in-house Rescue Team Open Access holes in decks should be adequately guarded to prevent employees from accidentally falling down them we urge you to think about the accidents you just saw and to use that information to make your job safer don't add your name to the list of

16:09 fatalities and remember all Shipyard workers must wear or use equipment necessary to protect them from occupational safety and health hazards such equipment may include Hard Hats Safety glasses protective Footwear gloves long sleeve shirts long pants hearing protection and a flashlight or light stick if you are asked to perform a task that you believe is unsafe or you are asked to perform a task in an unsafe manner or in a manner that violates OSHA regulations ask your supervisor or employer for help in determining the correct and safe way to proceed you can also contact your local OSHA Office for help or visit the OSHA website at

16:55 www.osha.gov employers can request a free on-site consultation visit and obtain additional information by contacting their local OSHA Office or through the OSHA website if you have an emergency need to report a fatality or a workplace Hazard that poses a threat to health or safety or want to file a complaint please call OSHA's toll-free number 1800 321 OSHA the scenes you about to witness depict fatal accidents that occurred while employees were working in shipyards all identifying references have been removed to protect privacy interests please be advised that the depictions may be disturbing and deal

17:41 with graphic subject matter [Music] a crane operator and two riggers were moving structural sections of a crane boom from a storage area to another area of the shipyard the riggers were positioned at both ends of the structural sections while they were being transported after the first section was delivered the men noticed their original route taken to deliver the first section

18:27 was now blocked by other working crane rather than wait for the crane to finish and move out of the way they decided to take another route to the work site as they transported the second section the two riggers focused their attention on keeping the load headed straight down the Narrow Path all three workers failed to see the overhead power lines the crane boom contacted these high voltage power lines 7,200 volts passed from the power lines Through the Wire Rope into the suspended structural section to the rigger who was still holding on to the section the rigger was killed

19:13 instantly let's look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality in route to their work area the crane traveling with the suspended load struck overhead power lines a safe route was not established before the crane was moved moved a designated person must establish a safe traveling route for cranes equipment must not be operated or positioned within 10 ft of an energized power line the riger holding on to the load provided an electrical path to ground always use non-conductive tag lines to control loads when practicable tagline should be clean and dry rigers assigned to assisting the

19:58 movement of the crane and load must ensure sufficient distance is maintained between the extended boom of the crane and power lines ensure riggers are adequately trained to recognize crane hazards it is recommended that power lines be clearly marked and visible as well as other overhead hazards if workplace conditions change another hazard assessment should be performed to determine whether previously unidentified hazards exist although not contributing to the fatality it is recommended that loads be carried no higher than necessary normally waste High to prevent contact with any other

20:54 obstruction a truck crane lifts steel shell plates from a staging area the crane holds them in place on the vessel while they are tack welded in position after tack welding several steel shell plates the welder went back to complete the welds on each plate as the employee completed each weld the crane continued moving additional plates into position as the welder worked on the port section the crane moved plates to the starboard side the crane lifted each plate and swung it over the hall under construction the crane operator inadvertently left the auxiliary hoist line partially extended as the crane swung the

21:41 auxiliary line struck the top of a shell plate snapping it at its tack welded base the shell plate toppled and fell onto the welder working below the welder was crushed to death let's look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality the crane operator did not recognize the hazards caused by The partially extended auxiliary Heist line crane operators should assess and recognize potential hazards before starting work unused slings and lines must be secured prior to moving the load the crane operator swung the boom and load over an area where the employee

22:26 was working crane operators must never swing loads over employees the work should be planned and plates prepositioned on both the starboard and Port sides so there is no load passing over the workers it is recommended that riggers wear a high visibility vest and have available to them an audible device such as a whistle to alert crane operators or nearby workers of unsafe situations the welder was not aware that the crane had started to swing over his work area educate all workers of the hazards around working cranes crane operators should keep visual contact with nearby

23:13 workers assign a spotter on the ground to make sure the crane will not interfere with other objects or other work operations an inactive ship was being prepared for relocation to another Pier two men were rigging a chain fall to lift the last of 73,000 lb moing chains in order to secure it along the deck edge of the vessel one half of the moing chain was supported part of the way up the side of the vessel the men were preparing to lift and secure the unhooked end of the moing

24:00 chain near the deck Edge the men began by attaching several short wire rope slings end to end with shackles creating a longer hoisting line one end of the sling assembly was attached to the UNL end of The Mooring chain the other end of the sling assembly was led through a bit on the deck edge of the vessel and then attached to a chain fall as the chain fall pulled its maximum distance the sling assembly was secured to the bit by Manila rope used as a stopper the chain fall was then slackened so that the chain fall hook could be attached to the next sling shackle through the bit as the second sling was pulled by

24:45 the chain fall the sling shackle got hung up on the bit the sling assembly was secured with a manila rope stopper and then the chain forall was backed off while waiting for instructions the worker walked into the area and looked over the deck Edge to see what was wrong the Manila rope stopper snapped causing the weight of the chain to be transferred back to the sling assembly the slack assembly suddenly became taut and struck the rigger in the neck with tremendous Force breaking his neck the rigger died instantly let's look at some of the contributing factor factors that led to this

25:31 fatality a hazard assessment was not performed before the work began riggers were not properly trained to perform the tasks they were assigned the sling assembly used was not properly sized for this hoisting operation for this job only slings that fit through the bit should have been used a safety line should have been attached to the end of the moing chain to support it if the hoisting apparatus failed always use the proper equipment for the job the employee entered the bite of the line while the line was underload never enter the bite of the line the crew relied on manila rope as a stopper the load on the Rope exceeded the safe working strength of the Rope

26:18 never exceeds safe working loads of rope line or chains [Music] two workers were assisting a crane operator who was loading a piece of equipment from a pier onto a ship the ship's crane was being used to transfer a heavy delivery valve onto the ship for installation the workers were positioned on two unguarded catwalks that ran along each

27:03 side of the ship's open Hopper the workers used tag lines to guide the load onto the ship's deck as the crane swung the load from the pier to the ship the load disengaged from the hook the load fell and struck the starbird side catwalk near one of the workers the startled worker on that catwalk quickly St Ste back away from the falling load and lost his footing and fell hitting his head on the catwalk as he went down unconscious he fell into the hopper which at the time was filled with water and drowned let's look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality the valve was not properly

27:50 rigged to the hook of the crane always ensure that the load is properly rigged to prevent the load from becoming disengaged from the hook H it is recommended that hooks be equipped with a safety latch or M actions were not taken to ensure adequate fall protection was provided to workers along unguarded edges employees working on elevated catwalks must have adequate fall protection in required order such protection includes guard rails fall arrest systems or if employees are working overwat personal flotation devices

28:42 a dive team was asked to install j bolt patches as a temporary repair for two holes in a crude oil tank barge the two holes were at a depth of approximately 25 ft the dive team consisted of two scuba divers and a diving tendered to control the safety lines from the pier the two divers entered the water to remove a wooden plug from the first hole and install a j-bolt patch both divers had safety lines attached after installing the patch both divers returned to the pier and exited the water diver number one wearing blue remained on the pier while diver number two wearing yellow re-entered the Water by himself to tighten the fur first

29:28 patch that was installed diver number two had a safety line attached for this dive but the line was not tended after tightening the patch using a Pneumatic wrench diver number two exited the water on his third dive diver number two re-entered the Water by himself to move the air hose safety lines and magnets from the location of the first patch to where the second patch would be placed the air hose and safety lines were attached to the hole of the ship with a magnet diver number two did not have a safety line attached because he was relocating it diver number two had been in the water for over 10 minutes while diver

30:14 number one was on the dock mixing epoxy he called the tender off his brake to help him with preparing a patch for the second hole when the tender returned to the dive location to assist diver number one he noticed that the air hose and safety lines were not attached to the hull indicating that diver number two failed to reattach the lines he became suspicious that something was wrong diver number one put his scuba equipment back on and entered the water to find diver number two visibility was very poor so diver number one could only search by feeling with his hands after a search of approximately 10 minutes diver number number two was found unconscious and was removed from

31:01 the water diver number one attempted to resuscitate diver number two by performing CPR his efforts were not successful let's look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality while in the water scuba divers must always be tied to a safety line and line tended from the surface or accompanied by another diver with continuous visual contact at all times a standby diver must be ready to provide assistance whenever a scuba diver is in the water scuba divers must carry a reserve air breathing [Music] Supply when line tending from the

31:47 surface a tender must never leave his post the designated person in charge must not let other tasks detract from his Prime responsibility the safety and health of dive team [Music] members two workers were told to pump out the bow compartment of a barge that held 12 in of water the on Deck pump they would normally use was being repaired so they decided to use a smaller gasoline powered pump inside the

32:33 compartment the compartment had only one Open Access hatch that the workers used to enter the space the gasoline powered pump was set up inside the space and one worker remained with it to make sure that the intake hose stayed submerged exhaust gases from the gasoline powered pump containing carbon monoxide built up in the space the workers slow slowly became unconscious and eventually fell face down into the water that remained in the space the other worker on Deck did not know there was a problem because the pump was running continuously later on when the pump ran out of fuel and stopped running the worker on Deck went down into the

33:18 compartment and found his coworker faced down in the water let's look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality [Music] confined spaces must be visually inspected and tested by a competent person to determine the atmosphere's oxygen content prior to an employees entry employees entering confined or enclosed spaces must be trained to perform their work safely and to recognize hazards when using internal combustion engines exhausted below decks the space must be periodically tested by a shipyard competent person to ensure that dangerous levels of carbon monoxide do not develop ventilation must be provided to

34:05 maintain the oxygen level and keep carbon monoxide below hazardous levels in spaces where internal combustion engines are used workers in confined or enclosed spaces or in isolated locations must be checked frequently [Music] an electrician was working on an open electrical panel on a ship he needed to add a new cable and attach it to a breaker within the

34:52 panel the electrician identified the isolation breaker that fed the entire panel on the schematic drawing the electrician deenergized the breaker and properly tagged out as the electrician was fitting the new cable into the panel his left hand came into contact with the panel's main bus bars 440 volts of current passed from the bus bars through his left hand across his chest and out his right hand that braced him against the panel electrocuting him at some point the taggedout isolation breaker had been cross-wired with another breaker the electrician did not know that the panel he was working on was never

35:40 deenergized let's look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality employees should verify the location of all energy isolation points employees must check or test electrical panels or electrically powered equipment to ensure they are in fact deenergized before working inside them or within the vicinity of exposed electrical circuits inform all contractors and subcontractors of the ship's systems and or modifications to the systems prior to beginning work

36:32 a shipyard worker Was preparing to replace a high-press steam valve that was faulty and leaking in an engine room the valve was part of a 600 PSI steam system on a vessel other Shipyard Personnel had previously located all the valves and drains and isolated the steam system according to the ship's as built drawings all the drains indicated on the built drawings of the ship were opened and depressurized the drains were then marked with tags as one of the workers loosened the bolts around the faulty valve a tremendous burst of steam was suddenly released the steam under high pressure at 385 de F knocked the worker to the

37:20 ground and produced third degree burns on more than 60% of his body the worker died 2 days later in in the hospital errors and omissions on the ship's as-built drawings had prevented Shipyard Personnel from completely isolating and draining the steam system let's take a look at some of the contributing factors that led to this fatality use a thermal gun or carefully place your hand near both sides of the valve to check the temperature verify that the steam system is drained and the drain valve is open be careful not to touch the pipes or valve too quickly approach them slowly to feel if heat is radiating from them

38:06 first if they are very hot then they may still contain steam Under Pressure accurate drawings free from discrepancies are essential for Effective energy isolation Shipyard Personnel should be properly trained to conduct a visual check of all drains and valves in a steam system that is to be drained and depressurized drain connections on all dead interconnecting systems must be opened and observed to ensure effective isolation employees authorized to perform steam system repairs should be directly involved in the isolation and lockout tagout of the system direct involvement by workers in the lockout tagout process ensures their understanding of the operation or

38:51 process hazards that the lockout tagout is designed to control and how to avoid or control these hazards it is essential for ship's personnel and repair contractors to communicate and coordinate about the isolation and lockout tagout of the ship's systems we urge you to think about the accidents you just saw and to use that information to make your job safer don't add your name to the list of fatalities and remember all Shipyard workers must wear or use equipment necessary to protect them from occupational safety and health hazards such equipment may include Hard Hats Safety glasses

39:38 protective Footwear gloves long sleeve shirts long pants hearing protection and a flashlight or light stick if you are asked to perform a task that you believe is unsafe or you are asked to perform a task in an unsafe manner or in a manner that violates oser regulations ask your supervisor or employer for help in determining the correct and safe way to proceed you can also contact your local OSHA Office for help or visit the OSHA website at www.osha.gov employers can request a free on-site consultation visit and obtain additional information by contacting their local OSHA Office or through the OSHA website if you have an emergency need to

40:24 report a fatality or a workplace Hazard that poses a threat to health or safety or want to file a complaint please call OSHA's toll-free number 1800 321 OSHA