Sharing of Near Miss/Accident cases at Construction sites Case Study-2

Lessons learned from accidents and near-miss at various sites during the construction phase. It is requested to share the lessons and communicate the lessons learned from the case studies to all safety professionals as well as who belongs to construction work for improving upon the workplace environment and practices followed at the site, So that the same mistakes are not repeated in the future and awareness is percolated down to the grass-root level.

CASE 1

Brief Description:

The victim along with fellow worker was engaged for de-shuttering works of RCC foundation when the incident happened. The victim was standing on the concrete foundation and was trying to remove shuttering supports.

Apparently, due to recent rains, the soil condition might have loosened which could have resulted in the collapse of side soil and the victim got stuck up in between the shuttering board and collapsed soil heap.

He was immediately rescued by site personnel and shifted to Occupational Health Center by Ambulance. Subsequently, the victim was shifted to Apollo Hospital for medical treatment. However, the doctor declared him brought dead.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Excavated loose soil was stacked nearby the excavated pit. Due to the effect of the rain and/or activities being performed by the victim, the side soil collapsed into the pit.
2. In previous day rain, the pit was filled with some rainwater, which might have weakened the toe of the excavated pit.
3. This workplace is very near to the main material entry road on which heavy vehicles are plying on a regular basis which might have produced vibrations leading to weakening of the side soil.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Excavated soil to be kept a minimum 1.5 meters away from the edge of the excavated pit or removed.
2. Suitable side slope/step cutting to be adopted wherever excavation is carried out. Edges of excavated area to be protected by providing shoring & strutting.
3. Safety points mentioned in HIRAC/JSA for the activity to be implemented at the workplace.
4. Avoid dividing/separation wall between two adjacent excavated pit/area. Further, deep excavation should not be kept open for a longer duration.
5. Hard barricading to be ensured all around the excavated pit.
6. Vehicles movement should be restricted a minimum of three meters away from the excavated pit. Hard barricading with warning signage to be ensured.
7. Recent excavation/backfilling history of the area to be known & shared among all concerned working crew and construction activities to be planned accordingly.

CASE 2

Brief Description:

A Crew was engaged for the erection of a one-inch airline pipe in Pipe Rack Area & another crew was engaged for modification of manifold structural/piping including scaffolding works at an elevated location.

The victim was engaged in shifting 1” airline pipe from the ground to an elevated location during this process a scaffolding pipe of 1.5-meter length fell from 22mtr height on the victim’s helmet resulting in head injury. The victim was immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Scaffolding pipe was not securely tied while handling at height. It was kept loosely at the platform.
2. Inadequate supervision due to the non-availability of the scaffolding supervisor for the scaffolding team.
3. Lack of communication between agencies. Non-availability of safety net/secondary fall protection arrangement.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Safety net/secondary fall protection arrangement shall be ensured at the area where multiple agencies are working at a different elevation.
2. Alert shall be given to workers about other agencies’ activities in the same work location in different elevations.
3. The work area shall be barricaded at ground level if any lifting or erection activities are carried out.

CASE 3

Brief Description:

A worker engaged for the painting of structure in offsite pipe rack area at 5 mtr elevation got his paint finished and to refill the paint drum, he tried to come down using a structural column. During descending his hand slipped from the structural column & he fell down from an elevation of five meters. and sustain injuries on his head & face. Although the ladder with fall arrestor was fixed with the column on either side of the column, yet victim used the structural column to descend.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Access was not used by workers during climbing down from elevated locations.
2. The presence of paint drum & hand gloves might have resulted in slipping.
3. Lack of awareness.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Workers to be made more aware of probable hazards associated with painting works by conducting a special training program.
2. Daily Tool Box Meeting to be conducted by immediate job supervisor/Engineer prior to starting the job.
3. Stringent provisions to be implanted to remove repeated violators from the site.

CASE 4

Brief Description:

The Hydra crane was used for unloading a 26” dia pipe from the trailer on the road edge along with the pipe rack. One Rigger was assisting the unloading job and was holding the tag line attached to the pipe that was being unloaded. During hydra crane maneuvering, loose stone debris under the front left tire got ejected out from the edge of the tire. The hurled out stone hit the rigger’s right leg and the impact resulted in an injury.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Loose Rock boulder was lying on the road
2. Lack of supervision.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Cleaning of the road to be ensured prior to the movement of hydra Carne/vehicles/equipment.
2. Awareness session on hazards of loose debris /materials to be conducted for all the workers/drivers/operators.
3. Strictly avoid standing close to hydra tires during operation.

CASE 5

Brief Description:

Two employees were trying to go inside the shaft (well) for measurement purposes by using the man basket which was being lifted by the Hydra. During this process, Hydra wire rope got broken, resulted in both workers fallen inside the shaft along with man basket and sustained a severe injury on head & other body parts & became unconscious. Immediately both workers were rescued from the shaft area and shifted to hospital for treatment. However, both workers died after a week.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Hydra wire rope got broken during operation which resulted in man basket along with victims fallen inside the shaft.

Lesson Learnt/Recommendations:

1. Man basket shall not be lifted by hydra. Crane shall be used only for lifting the man basket.
2. All lifting tools and tackles to be checked on a regular basis prior to use.
3. Strict supervision to be ensured at the workplace.

CASE 6

Brief Description:

During unloading of Portacabin from Trailer using two web sling by Hydra, one web sling got sheared due to jerk load, resulted in one end of Portacabin landed on the ground & another end was rested on the Trailer. No injury noticed.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Defective web sling was used for lifting of Portacabin. Lesson Learnt /

Recommendations:

1. Good quality web sling to be used for lifting purposes at the workplace. Valid Third-party inspection certificate & visible identification mark to be ensured with all web slings/wire slings.
2. Usages of guide rope to be ensured with lifted items. Defective quality of lifting tools & tackles to be removed from the site.

CASE 7

Brief Description:

Piping erection works were carried out by crew at an elevated location. One pipe was successfully erected and the other one was under erection by Hydra. During this process pipe, support anchoring bolt failed to carry pipe load and pipe support got out, resulted in one pipe fell down & other hanged on the Hydra. No human injury.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Failure of pipe support during erection time. Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:
2. Strength of pipe support to be checked prior to starting pipe erection.
3. Calculation of load-carrying capacity of pipe support to be done.

CASE 8

Brief Description:

A pipe erection (Approx. 6m length and 12” diameter) was carried out using hydra crane with web sling at a height of 6m in Main pipe Rack. The pipe was touched on the incoming 440V power cable which was on the beam. In order to shift the pipe to the desired location workers used a chain pulley block to pull the pipe attached to web sling. As the pulling started the cable that was struck got crushed and punctured leading to a short circuit (Armour and Y phase). That cable caught fire, burned and Y phase fuse blew off and web sling was also burned. Immediately electricians reached the spot and disconnected the power supply of incoming cable. No human injury.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Pulling the pipe resulting in crushing the cable.
2. Damage of cable insulation – Armour and Y phase got contact.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Power cable found nearby lifting/shifting/erection area, supply to be switched off if required.
2. A single line diagram on the power distribution board panel shall be made available which reduces the time duration to switch off the power supply in case of emergency.
3. Vigilant supervision shall be ensured in the work area.
4. Earth Leakage Protection shall be provided for all construction power supply feeders

CASE- 9

Brief Description:

A worker was engaged inside the interceptor chamber for taking some measurements for construction a platform. The interceptor chamber was fully dry when he entered inside. When he was inside the chamber, suddenly water entered inside through upstream gates provided in the interceptor chamber. The victim got trapped inside the chamber and became unconscious which may be due to toxic gases/huge water enter inside the chamber. Subsequently, two workers entered inside the chamber to rescue the victim but both workers became unconscious inside the chamber. All three workers died.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. The sudden release of huge water inside the interceptor chamber which might have produced toxic gases inside the chamber.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. A valid confined space work permit to be ensured prior to allowing workers inside the confined space area.
2. Continuous monitoring of oxygen level inside the confined space area to be done.
3. Rescue arrangements must be readily available at the workplace to fulfill the requirement of the emergency situation.
4. Job shall be carried out under the close supervision of an experienced supervisor/engineer.
5. Effective coordination to be maintained whereas other external agency involved in the job.

Case-10

Brief Description:

The injured person (Helper), placed to 25mm rebar in cutting machine to cut 3mtrs rebar. He was holding the rebar. On actuating the lever of cutting machine by the operator for cutting the rod, the rebar snapped (shear cut) and hit the worker at about 3” below leg knee, resulted in fracture at Tibia-Fibula bone.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. The worker was standing cutting side of the machine.
2. High speed of cutting machine blade.
3. The worker was not attentive at workplace & not aware of the job-related hazard

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Workers to be trained to understand the hazards and stay away from the danger zone. Make sure the right work position near the cutting machine.
2. High-speed machines may be used at the site only after implementing appropriate precautionary measures, such as adequate barricading protection at the workplace.
3. All possible hazards to be identified & communicated to the concerned crew.

CASE 11

Brief Description:

A worker was engaged for removing the HD Frame at 2mtr height from staging and lowering with another co-worker, during this process he fell on the ground along with HD Frame as his safety harness was anchored with dismantling HD Frame. The worker sustained a minor fracture on both wrists.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Lack of knowledge.
2. Faulty judgment or poor understanding.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Ensure no work is carried out hurriedly.
2. Ensure pre job discussion /job specific training.
3. Ensure standby supervision at high-risk work.

CASE 12

Brief Description:

Two workers were engaged for unloading structural materials from the trailer by Hydra Crane & resting on the ground. After unleashing the slings one worker was passing from the side, suddenly girder tilt & fell on the worker’s foot resulted in worker sustain hairline fracture at leg finger.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Improper work procedure.
2. Structural materials stacked in a haphazard manner.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Work area inspection to be done by the immediate job supervisor for ensuring a safe work environment.
2. Loading/unloading to be done, experienced rigging crew. Regular awareness & training on rigging/loading& unloading to be organized.

CASE 13

Brief Description:

A worker was sitting on a wooden box placed in front of an electrical panel and waiting for the completion of the paint mixing. Meanwhile, a strong, intermittent wind storm came by, which pushed the electrical panel. The electrical panel fell towards the wooden box and the worker got an injury on his back (hairline crack on the spinal cord).

Probable Cause of incident:

1. The electrical panel was not secured firmly.
2. Sudden dust & storm Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:
3. All electrical panels to be secured with anchor bolt and concrete to be done for stability.
4. Unauthorized entry inside the electrical panel to be avoided strictly.

CASE 14

Brief Description:

The victim was engaged with his co-worker to shift the pipe spool at PWHT location by F-15 Hydra crane & holding the guide rope tied with the spool. The spool was suddenly imbalanced during movement and hit to another pipe which stored nearby area. The pipe rolled out and fell on the victim right leg resulted from injury on his right ankle.

Probable Cause of incident:

1. Lack of adequate space for shifting of the pipe by Hydra Crane.
2. Two guide rope not used with the lifted pipe.
3. The wedge was not provided below the pipe.

Lesson Learnt / Recommendations:

1. Adequate clearance to be ensured prior to lifting the spool/Pipe by Crane/Hydra.
2. Double guide rope to be used with lifted construction materials.
3. Wedges to be provided below the pipe to prevent spool/pipe roll out.
4. Working area to be inspected prior to start materials handling mechanically.