Sun Terminals Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 25, 2006 (fatal): Longshoreman is killed when crushed by container

At approximately 12:58 p.m. on March 25, 2006, Employee #1, a longshoreman, was on the top deck of a cargo vessel, using a portable radio to communicate with th e operator of a rail-mounted crane during the process of loading intermodal cont ainers on a vessel. The vessel was moored with its starboard side to a berth and port side toward the water, with its bow facing south. During the process of lo ading the first container on the deck of the vessel, approximately midship towar d the port side of the vessel, Employee #1 was standing south of the container a nd toward the starboard side of the vessel. A coworker, who was learning about t he loading process, was standing on the port side of the vessel, east of the con tainer. After the crane operator lowered the container onto the deck of the vess el, and before releasing it from the spreader bar, he noticed that the northwest twistlock under the container was improperly placed. The operator then began to lift the container. Employee#1, who had secured the twistlock under the southwe st side of the container, was observed by the coworker walking toward the southe ast side of the container. The secured twistlock under the container broke from its center as the crane lifted the container, causing the container to swing fro m side to side while suspended approximately 2 ft from the deck. The coworker be nt down to prevent being struck by the container, and observed that Employee #1 was also bending down. Employee #1 was struck on the head by the container, whic h pushed him against a steal support beam. He was crushed and killed.