BHC Crane LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jan 18, 2022 (fatal): Crane jib falls and strikes employee, resulting in fatality

At 7:00 a.m. on January 18, 2022 , Employee #1 and two coworkers were planning to detach the jib from the boom of a Grove 110-ton mobile hydraulic crane (License Plate #7DMP538; Model #TMS9000E, Serial #233637, MFC: Grove US. LLC). A coworker operated a forklift (Model #XH350L, Serial Number: S CH 39959, MFC: Taylor Machine Works, Inc.). The coworker raised the forks approximately 9 feet above the ground, and placed them underneath the jib extension, until contact was made and the jib rested firmly upon the forks. The jib and the boom were securely attached together by 4 metal locking pins and hinge attachment points. Employee #1 and a second coworker setup a 6-foot tall A-frame portable step ladder (Model: NXTIA06, Type: Non-Conductive Fiberglass Side Rail, MFC: Werner), underneath the hinge attachment points, where the jib connects to the boom. Employee #1 climbed up the 6- foot ladder, while a coworker held the ladder at the base. The coworker handed Employee #1 a sledge hammer to knock out the locking pins. As soon as the four locking pins were knocked out from their hinge attachment points, Employee #1, who was still standing on the ladder, proceeded to give visual hand signals to the coworker who was operating the forklift. The coworker, who was inside the cab of the forklift, saw these visual hand signals and proceeded to begin lifting the forks that allowed for the jib to slide out and detach from the boom. As the jib detached from the boom, the jib suddenly rotated forward and fell off of the forks of the forklift. At this moment, Employee #1 quickly reacted by grabbing onto the falling jib. The momentum of the falling jib, caused Employee #1 to flip off of the ladder and fall to the ground, along with the jib. Once the jib fell to the ground, it rolled and came to rest on the neck of Employee #1. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where he died. He suffered fractures to his neck and spine.