United Airlines: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Oct 19, 2021: Employee injures hand when pinned between engine mover and f

At 10:24 a.m. on October 19, 2020, an employee, an airplane mechanic, was operating a RICO Walkie Steering Engine Mover Model R-LT-DD, Serial # R-14480, FE 0157. The employee was about to align n engine stand beneath an airplane engine, weighing 800 lbs., hanging above ground. While navigating the Engine Mover, the employee backed himself into the chain-link fence. While attempting to maneuver the equipment, the control lever jerked up and towards the chain-linked fence. The employee's right hand was pinned and imbedded deep into the chain-link fence. The employee was hospitalized for treatment of traumatic injuries to his hand.

Incident on Jan 28, 2021: Two employees with covid-19 infection are hospitalized

On February 1, 2021, 2 employees (Aircraft Mechanics) for an airline were reported hospitalized with COVID-19. Employee #1 was hospitalized for 2 days and Employee #2 for 5 days. On January 15, 2021, Employee #1 and Coworker #1 ate lunch in the same breakroom. Both used appliances without disinfecting them but wore face masks when not eating and socially distanced, but Coworker #1 did not wear a mask while moving about the breakroom and neither recalled sanitizing their hands. Employee #1 used the breakroom computer without disinfecting the keyboard. On January 17, 2021, Employee #1 developed COVID-19 related symptoms and on January 18, 2021, he took a COVID-19 test which came back positive on January 19th. On January 18, 2021, Coworker #1 was confirmed positive. On January 14 and January 15, 2021, Coworker #1 and Coworker #2 worked together and stated they also carpool together and ride in the same truck but wear face coverings and keep the windows open. On January 14, 2021, they removed their face coverings while eating at a table less than 6 feet apart (with barriers). Coworker #2 may have used the computers briefly in either breakroom. Employee #2 began feeling symptoms January 16, 2021, while at work, he called out of work, took a COVID-19 test and was confirmed positive on January19, 2021. Employee #2 was hospitalized on January 28, 2021. Coworker #1 exhibited symptoms on January 17, 2021, and called out of work. He took the COVID-19 test and was confirmed positive on January 18, 2021, and reported his girlfriend tested positive. Employee #2 and Coworker #1 worked as partners. Employee #2 stated that he does not recall sanitizing anything at lunch, including his hands. He borrowed Coworker #1's wrench but was wearing gloves and a mask. Employees received COVID-19 safety training from the employer. Disinfecting spray bottles are provided in breakrooms and near computer stations. The employer did not have an effective COVID-19 Prevention Program in place.

Incident on Mar 11, 2020: Employee crushes finger in pinch point

At 7:15 a.m. on March 11, 2020, Employee #1 was assigned to assist in performing maintenance on a Boeing 777 landing gear with three coworkers. A shop made jack stand was used to hold the landing gear underneath the aircraft. The jack stand needed to be moved. Employee #1 unknowingly placed her left hand in a pinch point between the jack stand frame and a tow bar. When Employee #1 and a coworker pushed on the tow bar to move the jack stand, Employee #1's finger on the left hand was crushed. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 19, 2018: Employee is struck by an industrial tractor and fractures le

At 3:10 p.m. on February 19, 2018, an employee was sorting luggage from a flight to be sent out to connecting flights and was struck from behind by an industrial tug's tire. The employee fractured his leg and was hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 16, 2017: Employee is struck by baggage cart and receives multiple fra

At 4:20 p.m. on February 16, 2017, an employee was unhooking baggage carts. A coworker was driving a tug with a dolly attached. After the coworker made a turn, the dolly detached and struck the baggage carts, pinning the employee and causing multiple fractures.

Incident on Jul 14, 2013: Employee fractures foot between tractor and wall

On July 14, 2013, Employee #1 was driving a cargo tractor (Number 5204) towards the exit of the claim area. The cargo tractor was a United Eco-Skie CT 5204 mult i-purpose tractor. The exit was a one-way travel path. As he was operating the t ractor, he lost control of the steering wheel and the front wheel collided with the curb. His left foot was pinned and fractured between the wall and the tracto r. All cargo tractors were inspected by the employer after the accident and all were in good working condition. The cargo tractor was operated by batteries and it is used to tow luggage carts. Employee #1 was transported to a medical center , where he was treated and then hospitalized.

Incident on Jan 23, 2012: An aircraft mechanic falls, injuring elbow and scalp

Approximately 3:30 a.m. on January 23, 2012, Employee#1, mechanic, United Airlin es, removed mount bolts from F117 jet engine (TestCell 4, temporary workspace), while standing on unguarded ladder. His approximately 3 ft torque wrench's socke t slipped from approximately 250 ft-pound bolt. Employee#1 fell (47 inches), hit ting head and elbow on concrete floor. He went to hospital, was treated for elbo w fracture, and was released.

Incident on May 21, 2011: Employee suffers breathing problem from improper ventilation

On May 21, 2011, Employee #1, a security guard, was having difficulties with bre athing and began experiencing respiratory distress while working at a guardhouse station. She was transported to a medical center, where she was hospitalized fo r treatment. Employee #1 was exposed to a ventilation system that was not workin g properly in the guardhouse that started in late January. The ventilation syste m was leaking liquid profusely. The cumulative effects of improper ventilation s ystem for the past five months may have caused her respiratory distress on May 2 1, 2011. At the time of the inspection on June 3, 2011, the ventilation system i n the guardhouse was brand new and working properly. The employer completely rep laced its ventilation system prior to the first day of the inspection June 3, 20 11.

Incident on Nov 28, 2009: Employee's toes are amputated crushed between tugs

On November 28, 2009, Employee #1 working for an airline company, as a customer service-bag room worker, was on a cargo pulling tractor. After stopping to acces s whether there was room to drive between two parked cargo tugs, she proceeded t o drive between them on the marked pathway. Her foot was partially outside the p assenger area of the tug and was caught on the parked tug as she drove by it. Sh e was hospitalized with a fractured and a lacerated toe. The toes were amputated at the hospital.

Incident on Jun 23, 2008: Employee is injured in fall from tug tractor

At approximately 12:00 p.m. June 23, 2008, Employee #1 and a coworker were leavi ng Gate Number 87 after finishing the job of loading baggage on a 757 aircraft w hen another employee drove up in a tug and dropped off 2 to 3 more bags, to be l oaded onto aircraft. According to the coworker's statement, the belt loader was taken to a different gate by the other crew members and there was no other equip ment available to load these bags. So, in order to finish the job, Employee #1 d rove his tractor tug, Toyota - Model Number 02-2TD23, Serial Number -2TD25-10208 , Unit Number- CT4135, Year 1991, up to the rear cargo-pit. He was standing on a passenger seat, and Employee #2 was handing to him an approximately 30-lb bag. Employee # 1 was attempting to put this bag in the cargo pit, but he dropped it. The coworker believed that the bag hit the hand brake and gear shift, causing t he brake to disengage and shift the gears into drive. After the tug started to m ove, Employee #1 fell off from the hood of the tug tractor and hit his head agai nst the ground. Employee #1 lacerated his head and fractured his left shoulder a nd back. He was taken to the San Francisco General Hospital for more then 24 hou rs. The coworker stated that it was a common practice to stand on the tractor an d load the aircraft, when a belt loader was not available, and bags were dropped off at the last minute. The other two employees were approximately 30-40 ft awa y from the accident site and they did not witness the accident, but they saw the tractor moving around without a driver, at the speed of approximately 20 to 25 miles per hour. One of these employees chased the tractor to stop it, but he was unable to do it. The tractor finally ended up hitting the left engine of this a ircraft and came to a stop. The employee #1 was using unsafe method of loading b ags on the aircraft and this was common practice, when a belt loader was not ava ilable. Furthermore, it was common practice not to chalk the tug. According to t he employees, the supervisors were aware of this unsafe practice however, the em ployees never received any written or verbal warnings from the supervisor to sto p this practice. Employee #1 declined to be interviewed.

Incident on Mar 27, 2008: Employee amputates finger while using metal sheer

At 12:31 p.m. on March 27, 2008, Employee #1 was cutting sheet metal on a metal- cutting machine. Employee #1 was operating a Niagara Power Squaring Sheer, Model Number I-6, Serial Number 56720, while cutting pieces of sheet metal. At the ti me of this accident, the point of operation and hold-downs were not guarded as r equired. There was a guard-strip in front of the point of operation, which was c olor coded red and blue but the openings were too wide. The openings from the ta ble to the 'blue guard' were approximately 1.66 inches and to the 'red guard' ap proximately 0.75 inches wide. The distance from the knife to the guard was appro ximately 3.25 inches and from the hold-downs to the guard was 0.625 inches. Empl oyee #1 was feeding a piece of sheet metal into the machine, and his left hand's middle finger went under the guard and was caught in between a hold-down and th e table. As a result, Employee #1 lost the tip of his finger. No one witnessed t his accident. Employee #1 was taken to the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in South S an Francisco but was not admitted. He was treated and released.

Incident on Nov 14, 2007: Employee's leg is fractured between two vehicles

On November 14, 2007, Employee #1, a mechanic, made his rounds maintaining water levels on CT vehicles for an airport. He needed to move a CT vehicle that was n ext to another CT vehicle. He was on the driver seat with his leg dangling over the side. He attempted to move the CT vehicle forward but it went backwards. His left leg was caught between the two CT vehicles. His lower left leg was fractur ed and he was hospitalized.

Incident on Nov 16, 2007 (fatal): Employee is killed in fall from overhead crane

Employee #1, a maintenance worker, went out a door leading to an overhead crane approximately 40-ft to 60-ft high. Employee #1 was on the walkway of the crane. The walkway of the crane had standard guardrails. Employee #1 was not wearing fa ll protection equipment and fell. Employee #1 was killed.

Incident on Aug 25, 2007: Employee sustains concussion in fall from ladder

On August 25, 2007, Employee #1 was circumventing electrical wiring in a ten foo t ceiling. While Employee #1 was on a ladder five ft from the ground, he lost hi s balance and fell. Employee #1 fell onto a file cabinet, bounced off, and then hit the right side of his head on the corner of a cubical wall. He sustained a b ruised back and a concussion, as well as a cut on his head.

Incident on Apr 27, 2007: Employee falls from ladder, fractured head and back

At approximately 1:20 p.m. on April 27, 2007, Employee #1 was working in Dock Nu mber 1 on the inboard side of the Number 2 engine of a Boeing 757. Employee #1 w as using a platform ladder, approximately 5.5 feet high with the steps facing th e engine. He usually positions the steps along the length of the engine. Employe e #1 stepped off the ladder, possibly forgetting it was positioned differently, and fell to the concrete floor. He was hospitalized with a skull and back fract ure and a compressed vertebra. The ladder was in good condition. Employee #1 was an airframe mechanic.

Incident on May 27, 2006: Employee's foot is crushed between airplane wheel and tug

At approximately 7:19 p.m. on May 27, 2006, Employee #1 was disconnecting the to w bar from the aircraft tug. The tow bar did not disconnect after unlocking, so Employee #1 applied pressure on the bar by pushing it down with his right foot-- a common practice at the jobsite. The moment tow bar came off from the aircraft tug, the AT500tow tractor moved forward and Employee #1's right foot got pinned between the tug wheel and the tow bar. This accident was witnessed by two cowork ers. One coworker who admitted that he was the driver for this tow tractor, park ed this tractor on an incline, idling in neutral, with parking brake set. The wh eels were not blocked or chocked. The tow tractor driver was approximately 28 fe et away from the tow tractor as Employee #1 was disconnecting the tug.

Incident on Apr 6, 2005: Employee fractures leg in fall from ladder

At 1:00 a. m. on April 06, 2005, Employee #1, a line maintenance mechanic, was w orking for his employer, San Francisco International Airport. Employee #1 was w orking with two coworkers at the maintenance facility at the Airport. Employee #1 was in the cockpit of the plane during a power down procedure. After the pro cedure, Employee #1 left the cockpit and tripped on a piece of carpet causing hi s right foot to fall through the hatch of the plane. Employee #1's right foot w as caught between the rungs of the ladder located outside the hatch causing mult iple leg fractures. No safety barricade or floor covering was posted as require d.

Incident on Mar 29, 2005: Employee falls and fractures hip

Employee #1 was walking through the locker area room when she slipped on wet, wa xed floor and fractured her right hip and femur. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Jul 12, 2004: Employee injures leg in trip and fall

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on July 12, 2004, Employee #1 was walking to his work station in the engine maintenance shop when he tripped over the leg of an engin e-parts hoist, falling and breaking his leg in three places. He was hospitalized for treatment.

Incident on Apr 21, 2001: Employee injured when head hit canopy of tow tractor

At 8:00 a.m. on April 21, 2002, Employee #1, a mechanic, was test driving a tow tractor on the tarmac between Gates 93 and 94 of the San Francisco International Airport. The employer reported that this fuel pit was a problem because it appe ared that it was built too high and some airport equipment was having problems c learing the steel cover. Employee #1 was not aware of the problem. He ran over a raised fuel pit cover, which sent him bouncing inside the cab of the tractor. E mployee #1's head hit the canopy which injured him seriously. Employee #1 sustai ned a fractured vertebra and lacerations on his forehead. Employee #1 also repor ted numbness in his shoulder and right hand.

Incident on Nov 12, 2001: Employee injured after slipping and falling

On November 12, 2001, Employee #1 was working with a coworker unloading bags fro m a cart onto a belt conveyor on a rainy day. The belt was under a roof but the pavement was still wet. Employee #1 was pulling a bag from the cart when she sli pped, fell backwards, and tried to stop her fall with her hands and her right le g. Employee #1 twisted her ankle and tore some ligaments in her right knee. Empl oyee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Sep 11, 2001: Employee slips and falls on platform

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on September 11, 2001, Employee #1 was on the platfor m of a scissor lift to clean the interior of the aircraft. The platform was abou t two feet below the door sill. As Employee #1 stepped up, he slipped and fell b ackwards onto the platform, sustaining bruises on his body. Employee #1 was hosp italized.

Incident on May 21, 2001: Employee suffers crushing injury to foot

Employee #1 was working as an aircraft mechanic at this worksite. A piece of equ ipment rolled over Employee #1's foot causing a partial amputation of his great toe. Employee #1 was hospitalized and underwent reconstructive surgery.

Incident on Dec 29, 2000: Employee's fingers are cut when hand too slips

On December 29, 2000, Employee #1 was removing a dent in a bumper with a tool ca lled a porta-power. He pumped the tool up to the point where it slipped out of h is hand and cut deeply into two fingers. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on May 1, 2000 (fatal): Employee dies of an apparent heart attack

On May 1, 2000, Employee #1 was returning from his dinner break to the plating s hop when he collapsed from an apparent heart attack and died. The employer was i n compliance with the cadmium standard and no airborne cyanide was detected. No accident-related violations were observed.

Incident on Nov 28, 2000: Employee suffers amputation

Employee #1 was standing on top of the platform of the baggage loader by the lad der holding onto the safety railing with his left hand. Employee #1 noticed it w as going to be a tight squeeze so he stepped back and the door continued to open . Employee #1's left ring finger became caught by the bottom right hand side of the cargo door. Employee #1 lost about 0.25-in. of the finger tip. Employee 31 w as treated for his injuries but was not hospitalized.

Incident on Sep 19, 2000: Employee injured in trip and fall from steps

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on September 19, 2000, Employee #1, an aircraft clea ner, suffered ruptured tendons of the left knee when he tripped and fell from th e steps of an access stand while cleaning an aircraft at Bay Number Two at the c ompany's worksite. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Nov 29, 1999: Employee injured in fall from loading ramp

At approximately 11:30 p.m. on November 29, 1999, Employee #1 was walking down a n inclined belt loader from an aircraft. As he reached the bottom of the belt, h e stepped down onto a serrated step on the side rail of the loader. He slipped a nd fell to the ground, fracturing his wrist. His injury required hospitalization and surgery.

Incident on Aug 19, 1999: Finger cut in hydraulic actuator

At 10:15 a.m. on August 19, 1999, Employee #1 was adjusting a hydraulic actuator on a test stand. While making adjustments the right hand index finger of Employ ee #1 was caught in one of the pinch points as the machine was engaged.

Incident on Jul 13, 1999: Employee is burned while working with corrosive liquids

On July 13, 1999, Employee #1, and a coworker were working with corrosive liquid s using an electric drum pump and a carboy with a funnel. Employee #1 transferre d the concentrated nitric acid to a 1-gallon glass bottle. Neither Employee #1 n or the coworker was wearing personal protective equipment (face shield and/or sp lashguard goggles, as required). According to the supervisor (a witness), a 2.5 gallon glass bottle should have been used for the transfer of the corrosive liqu ids so that the pump would not feed into the funnel. Employee #1 had not been tr ained to use the electric drum. Employee #1 suffered chemical burns but was not hospitalized.

Incident on Jun 4, 1998: Employee injured while opening pressurized water tank

At approximately 4:50 p.m., on June 4, 1998, Employee #1 and a coworker were wor king on the United Airlines B777 jet aircraft Number 2072 in Oakland, CA. They w ere preparing for the inspection of an internal potable water tank. Employee #1 started to release the snap ring on the tank cap, when the end cap blew out and hit him in the face. Employee #1 was taken to the Alameda Hospital for treatment . He was hospitalized. Apparently, the pressure in the tank had not been release d prior to removal of the snap ring holding the cap in place. Employee #1 and co worker during the inspection of the water tank had to follow a set of elaborate instructions, given in a job card, Potable Water Tank Inspection (1660-40-11-00) . It appears that steps A and B in the instructions were not completed prior to the removal of the snap ring from the tank. The tanks hold approximately 200 - 3 00 gallons of water. The cap on the tank is approximately 8.125 in. in diameter and 1 in. in depth.

Incident on May 3, 1998: Employee slips off conveyor-fractures upper vertebrae

At approximately 7:30 p.m. on May 3, 1998, Employee #1, a ramp serviceman, injur ed his vertebrae at the International Ramp in Zone 3. Employee #1 was assigned t o unload baggage from incoming planes and to load the baggage onto a series of c onveyors leading to International Baggage Claim Area B. Shortly before the accid ent, he claimed that he tried the controls of the conveyor to make sure it was w orking properly. During the test, he noted the next set of conveyor belts was no t moving because a torn piece of luggage was stuck along the conveyor. He then w ent inside the conveyor covers to remove the stuck piece. As he was removing the piece, he stepped off the conveyor and fell through the ceiling to the floor. T he distance from the ceiling to the floor was about 12 feet. Paramedics came and transported him to a local hospital. Employee #1 was hospitalized and diagnosed with two fractured upper vertebrae.

Incident on Apr 22, 1998: Employee injured when thumb caught between baggage dolly

Employee #1 was in the process of hooking up one loaded baggage dolly to another loaded baggage dolly when his thumb was smashed between the hook and the hitch of the baggage dolly. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 15, 1998: Employee injured when he slipped exiting truck

Employee #1 was stepping from the cabin of his service truck when his foot slipp ed and he fell due to it being a wet night. Employee #1 injured his right knee a nd was hospitalized.

Incident on Dec 18, 1997: Employee injured when finger amputated by table saw

At 2 p.m. on December 18, 1997, Employee #1 was grooving a piece of plywood on a powered table saw. As he pushed the piece of wood by hand, the wood kicked back and Employee #1's hand slipped off the sheet of plywood, his finger being amput ated by the spinning blade. Employee #1 was hospitalized for treatment.

Incident on May 12, 1997: Employee injured when cylinder assembly collapses

At approximately 5:50 p.m. on May 12, 1997, Employee #1 was operating a Wheel Be aring Cup Removal Machine. As Employee #1 reached through an opening between the machine's table and its hydraulic cylinder, the cylinder assembly collapsed due to a malfunction. His arm became trapped. Employee #1 was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Incident on May 26, 1996: Employee's finger amputated when brake assembly tips over

Employee #1 was changing a worn brake assembly from the right landing gear on a 737 aircraft parked at Gate 11 in the United Airlines maintenance area, San Dieg o (CA) International Airport. He went over to the building at Gate 11, where the brake assemblies were stored against the wall. The brake assembly came in a reu sable brake shipper box, #379-12E. The 24 in. high by 24 in. diameter box was ma de of brown fiberboard-like material, and it had hard yellow plastic covers on t he top and bottom that were secured with a single male-threaded rod running thro ugh the box. Yellow plastic 1 in. by 3 in. feet were attached toward the center of the box on the bottom, making it easy to move with a forklift and easy to tip over. Employee #1 removed the cover from the shipper box and stood the brake as sembly on end to attach the hoist while his hand was still in the box. The appro ximately 270 lb brake assembly tipped over, trapping his hand between it and the wall of the box. The distal joint of his right ring finger was amputated. The e mployer was cited for an accident-related violation of T8CCR 3328(e).

Incident on Apr 11, 1996: Employee injured when knocked off ladder

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on April 11, 1996, Employee #1 was on a ladder worki ng under a passenger aircraft parked at a loading gate. A coworker backed a Carg o King loader out of its parking space in front of the aircraft. He looked over his shoulder, but did not see Employee #1 or the ladder. The vehicle struck the ladder, causing Employee #1 to fall. He struck the side rail of the cargo loader and suffered two fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

Incident on Feb 5, 1995: Employee's finger partially amputated in container door

Employee #1, a ramp serviceman for United Airlines, lifted the folded door of an LD-3 container used in air freight to release it to a free fall and unfold it t o close the door. On its way down he tried to catch the door to reduce its impac t and the little finger of his right hand became caught in the seam between the two door halves. Even though he was wearing sturdy leather gloves his finger was amputated at the first knuckle.

Incident on Jan 31, 1995: Aircraft mechanic injured in 20 foot fall

Employee #1 and a coworker, both aircraft mechanics, were working on the tail se ction of an aircraft in dock #6 when they realized that they needed a rudder sli ng that had been left in dock #7. Dock #7 was not in use and all entrances to it had allegedly been taped off or chained off and warning signs provided. Employe e #1 went to get the sling where the tool had been left. When on the second leve l, he stepped on a board in the area where the tail section of an aircraft would be if a jet was docked. The board gave way because the rail supports underneath were not in place. Employee #1 fell about 20 feet and landed on a dumpster. He was seriously injured and was hospitalized.

Incident on Sep 28, 1994: Employee's leg injured when pinned by baggage tractor

Employee #1, of United Airlines, was standing next to the belt controls of bagga ge carousel #4, waiting to unload baggage containers. A tractor pulling baggage containers was entering the unloading area when it apparently hit an unseen oil spot on the cement floor, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The tractor fish-tailed and its right side pinned Employee #1's leg against the car ousel belt. He sustained leg injuries, but was not hospitalized.

Incident on Oct 6, 1994: Employee's fingertip amputated in aircraft door

Employee #1 was closing the passenger door of an aircraft. His left hand was on the door handle and he was pushing the door shut with his right hand. The door c losed on his right little finger, which he had inadvertently rested on the door seal. Employee #1's fingertip was amputated; he was treated at the hospital and released that same day.

Incident on May 16, 1994: Employee's hand cut by exposed fan blades

Employee #1, of United Airlines, was assigned for the first time to test the air flow of the aft cargo compartment heater fan of a 757 aircraft undergoing checks . She had not received any prior specific training regarding this new assignment , nor had she assisted anyone doing a similar job. She was unfamiliar with the e quipment to be tested and also complained that the test procedures were confusin g. The test required the employee to feel the airflow by placing a hand near the nozzle. Employee #1 placed her hand near the wrong nozzle (with exposed blades) and her hand was sucked into the blades and cut. The previous shift crew had re moved more tubing than necessary, thereby exposing the fan blades of the heater fan motor. From the time she started working at 7:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., when she was hurt, no supervisor either checked on her or supervised her.

Incident on Nov 24, 1993: Employee injures head and ribs in fall

At about 10:45 a.m. on November 24, 1993, Employee #1 was helping unload the man ual pit of a 747 aircraft (where small cargo and mail are carried). He was the l ast person to leave the pit after it was emptied, and he descended to the ground by means of an inclined conveyor belt. Neither Employee #1 nor anyone else near by knows what happened next, but somehow he fell over and injured his head and r ibs. It is thought that Employee #1 was in the act of pulling a loaded cargo car t by hand, and that he slipped and fell during this process. Employee #1 did not realize for 2 hours that he had been injured. He was then hospitalized for trea tment.

Incident on Apr 22, 1992: Employee injured in fall when aircraft ladder detaches

At approximately 2:30 a.m., Employee #1, a 30-year-old air conditioning mechanic at the United Airlines repair facility at the Oakland Airport, was exiting from the aircraft using the 8254 E&E compartment access door. He used the compartmen t's two-piece ladder to reach a 10-step A-frame ladder that was positioned below at the foot of the access door. The access ladder's lower section, which was no t fully supported, detached, and Employee #1 fell approximately 12 ft to the han gar floor. He required hospitalization. The E&E compartment ladder's instruction s require that the ladder base rest on the ground and not be used while the airc raft is on jacks. The 10-step A-frame was not tall enough to reach the compartme nt.

Incident on Mar 26, 1992: Employee breaks leg in fall from stepladder

At about 6:25 p.m. on March 26, 1992, Employee #1, a radio/electronics aircraft mechanic at United Airlines, was working on a Boeing 737 aircraft. He had climbe d a portable metal stepladder to the aircraft's front door; as he left the aircr aft he stood on the top step of the ladder to close the door behind him. When he pushed firmly against the door handle and turned it to its locked position, his grip on the handle slipped. He began to fall from the ladder and decided to jum p clear, landing heavily on one foot. He was hospitalized with multiple and comp ound fractures to his left lower leg.

Incident on Sep 22, 1991: Employee injured when run over by tug

At approximately 7:15 a.m. on September 22, 1991, Employee #1, of United Airline s, was marshaling a tug that was pushing back a 727 aircraft from ramp gate 5 at the Ontario International Airport. The captain of the aircraft changed his mind as to which taxi-way he wanted to use. Because the tug operator was confused as to which way to turn the steering wheel, Employee #1 moved closer to assist the tug operator. Employee #1 continued standing near the left front wheel of the t ug as the aircraft was pushed back. The tug operator could see Employee #1 out o f the corner of her eye. The tug's left front wheel ran over Employee #1's right heel and ankle, resulting in serious injuries for which she was hospitalized.

Incident on Dec 13, 1991: Employee injured when struck by engine cover

At approximately 3:30 a.m. on December 13, 1991, Employee #1, of United Airlines , was repairing engine #4 of a 747 aircraft (#8316) at the Los Angeles Airport, gate #76. He had used a ladder to access the engine. Employee #1 was closing the engine cover (cowling) when it came off at its hinge point and fell on Employee #1, knocking him from the ladder to the ground. Employee #1 required hospitaliz ation. According to the supervisor, a manlift was available but was not used. Th e employer's investigation revealed that the safety pip pin failed, causing the cowling to come off at its hinge point.

Incident on Jan 27, 1991: Employee injured when crushed between mobile equipment

At approximately 4:30 p.m. on January 27, 1991, Employee #1, of United Airlines, was at the base of a luggage conveyor belt loading bags into a Boeing 737. He w as taking the bags from a foreman cart and putting them on the belt when a tract or with a load of bags approached the aircraft and then, for some reason, went o ut of control. The tractor struck the stationary foreman carts and crushed Emplo yee #1 between the carts and the end of the conveyor. The tractor driver later s tated that he believed the tractor hit a bump and started bouncing, which caused his foot to slip off the brake and onto the accelerator.

Incident on Sep 14, 1990: Employee injured when scissor lift malfunctions

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on September 14, 1990, Employee #1 was inside the cab in of a scissor lift airplane-servicing truck. As the lift was being raised, the re was a mechanical failure of a critical pivot shaft that caused the scissor an d the cabin to fall forward. They struck the vehicle's driving cab with enough f orce to collapse the cab's roof. Employee #1 was injured when he was thrown agai nst the cabin. The pivot shaft broke when its locking screws apparently loosened , causing the shaft to move and catch in another part of the machine.

Incident on Aug 21, 1990: Two employees injured in powder mixing explosion

At 2:30 p.m. on August 21, 1990, at the United Airlines maintenance operations c enter, a powder containing aluminum oxide used for coating turbine blades was be ing mixed in the new focus repair cell. Approximately 3,000 pounds of powder had been transferred to the #1 bin. Employee #1 had just left the powder mixing roo m and was standing outside the door. Employee #2 and three coworkers were also o utside, standing near the control panel, when an explosion occurred in the mixin g room. Employee #1 was struck by the powder room door and thrown against the bu ilding. He suffered broken ribs, a broken pelvis, a concussion, and a bruised lu ng and shoulder. Employee #2 was thrown back 8 to 10 ft. The employee emergency action plan was implemented and the building evacuated.