Semi-Truck Owner-Operator Crushed by 7.6 Ton Steel Coil While Securing Load to Flatbed Trailer

SUMMARY

On Monday, October 26, 2015, a 46-year-old truck driver (the victim) and a bridge crane operator were loading three 7.6 ton steel coils onto a flatbed semi-trailer, using a bridge crane. The truck driver was standing on the bed of the trailer and both he and the bridge crane operator had their backs turned to the bridge crane, while the crane operator actuated the crane’s controls. The crane’s sling became entangled in the eye of a steel coil, causing it to become unstable and topple over onto the truck driver. The truck driver was pinned to the bed of the trailer beneath the steel coil and died at the scene.

Semi-Truck Owner-Operator Crushed by 7.6 Ton Steel Coil While Securing Load to Flatbed Trailer [PDF 649 KB]