Head injury during blast wall test lift

What happened?

During a test lift of a blast wall top plate, a temporary lifting beam shifted inside the blast room which startled a technician who was standing next to the plate.

The technician flinched and moved quickly backwards, stumbling and hitting his head on the transition piece door frame.

The impact of the hardhat against a doorframe dislodged the hardhat exposing the top of the technician’s head, which he then hit on the floor when he fell.

Wound was tended to before the technician was moved back to shore.

Why did it happen?

The work was taking place in a relatively confined space.

The plate being lifted was not correctly attached to the lifting beam.

G clamps had not been fully tightened over the lifting beam.

What did they learn?

The technician was wearing a hardhat, but the chin strap was not fastened.

There was a lack of organisational knowledge by the technician.

The wrong type of lifting equipment was being used for the test.

Ask yourself or your crew

Are you aware of any previous work/problems in the area you are working in now?

Is the proper Personal Protective Equipment for a task being worn correctly?

When working in tight spaces, have your surroundings been checked properly for hazards or risks?

What happened?

During a test lift of a blast wall top plate, a temporary lifting beam shifted inside the blast room which startled a technician who was standing next to the plate.
The technician flinched and moved quickly backwards, stumbling and hitting his head on the transition piece door frame.
The impact of the hardhat against a doorframe dislodged the hardhat exposing the top of the technician’s head, which he then hit on the floor when he fell.
Wound was tended to before the technician was moved back to shore.
Why did it happen?

The work was taking place in a relatively confined space.
The plate being lifted was not correctly attached to the lifting beam.
G clamps had not been fully tightened over the lifting beam.
What did they learn?

The technician was wearing a hardhat, but the chin strap was not fastened.
There was a lack of organisational knowledge by the technician.
The wrong type of lifting equipment was being used for the test.
Ask yourself or your crew

Are you aware of any previous work/problems in the area you are working in now?
Is the proper Personal Protective Equipment for a task being worn correctly?
When working in tight spaces, have your surroundings been checked properly for hazards or risks?