Page 13 - Crane and Rigging

Environmental, Safety & Health
Safety Leadership Workshop

Workshop 6

Cause &Effect Case Studies

Case Study 1

You are the supervisor on the graveyard shift. There are 20 employees under your direction.
There are no safety/first-aid personnel on duty tonight.

At approximately 2:30A.M., one of your employees prepares to replace some lights in a pipe
chase because one of the cleanup laborers said there wasn’t enough light to work in the area.
He looks around for a 20-foot ladder to use. Some of your employees have complained over the
past weeks about the fact that the day and swing shifts chain up all the ladders, leaving none for
the graveyard shift to use. After looking, your employee finds a 20-foot ladder lacking safety
feet. Because of all the debris scattered through the pipe chase, he isn’t able to place the ladder
on firm footing. As he reaches the top of the ladder and gets ready to tie it off, the ladder rocks,
causing him to lose his balance. He falls to the ground, striking his head on a pipe and is
knocked unconscious.

About an hour later, one of the laborers comes to the pipe chase to see if the lights have been
repaired. Upon seeing the injured employee, he runs to find a page phone to call for help. He
frantically tells you, “Man down in the pipe chase,” and hangs up.

Contributing Factors

1.

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2.

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3.
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4.
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5.

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