WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
A routine bridge inspection turned fatal for one inspector in Connecticut last week.
William Shook, an employee of McClain and Co., was killed after the snooper truck on site tipped and crushed him while setting up for a job, NBC Connecticut reported Aug. 27.
The site said that Shook was using the snooper truck to inspect an entrance ramp connecting at Interstate 84 in West Hartford on Aug. 26.
At the time of the accident he was standing between the truck and bridge railing while the truck’s arm and bucket were being retracted.
No one was in the bucket when the 31-ton vehicle became unbalanced and tipped, crushing Shook.
Crane is now hooked to the rolled over "snooper" lift truck but no movement yet. @FoxCT pic.twitter.com/zJss6RgnDR
— Louisa Moller (@LouisaMoller) August 27, 2015
Fox CT reported that first responders found Shook lying on the roadway. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital with injuries where he later died.
The ramp remained closed while equipment was brought in to lift the vehicle, which was hanging upside down over the bridge.
At that time, officials feared the boom was unstable and could shift or rotate when moved. According to Fox CT, the removal process took more than nine hours.
Under Investigation
As of Aug. 28, Hartford-area director for OSHA told the Hartford Courant that OSHA’s investigation into the accident had just been opened and it was still in the process of collecting information and conducting interviews.
Additionally, CT State Police Troop H is leading the investigation into the death, spokesman Trooper Tyler Weerden told the paper.
He also indicated that their fire and explosives unit would assist a state crane inspector in a technical investigation of the equipment, adding that inspection of cranes falls within the jurisdiction of the state fire marshal's office.
Hazmat crews from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection were also called in when fluid—possibly fuel or hydraulic fluid—was found to be leaking from the equipment into Trout Brook below.
Double Vision
This happened to be the second bridge inspection mishap in the area that week involving a snooper truck also owned by McClain.
Fox CT reported that McClain and Co., Culpeper, VA, is subcontracted by GM2, which Connecticut employs for bridge inspections. McClain provides underbridge and aerial equipment rentals, as well as highway and underbridge support services.
Just the previous day, crews had to rescue two contractors who became stuck over the side of the bridge deck when their snooper truck malfunctioned, WFSB reported Aug. 25.
I-95 on Gold Star Bridge reopens after inspectors rescued from truck bucket off side of bridge http://t.co/pL9bowMNBO pic.twitter.com/K3z79d3wmH
— FOX CT (@FoxCT) August 25, 2015
The workers were performing an inspection on the Gold Star Bridge in Groton, CT, when they were unable to bring the bucket back up to the roadway and had to be rescued by emergency crews.
The New London Fire Department used its ladder and bucket to bring down the inspectors who were stranded for about an hour.
DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick told NBC Connecticut the workers were wearing harnesses and were not in danger.
He also told the Courant that the equipment malfunction the workers experienced was not necessarily uncommon with highly specialized trucking equipment.
News sites reported that, as a result of the repeat incidents involving McClain’s trucks, the state has suspended operations utilizing McClain while the investigations continue.
History of Inspections
According to its website, McClain & Co., Inc. was established in 1998 to provide support services to engineering companies and government agencies for the inspection and maintenance of bridges. The company has grown to become the largest underbridge access equipment supplier in North America.
Inspection records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show that McClain’s 100-plus vehicles have been inspected more than twenty times in the past two years, according to the Courant.
No serious violations of safety laws were reported, earning the company a satisfactory rating.
However, maintenance safety issues such as oil leaks, inoperative headlights and defective breaks were recorded.
Among other statistics the paper cited:
Tagged categories: Accidents; Bridges; Cranes; Fatalities; Health & Safety; Health and safety; Inspection; OSHA; Roads/Highways
