Two construction workers lose their lives by drowning.

Folks just posting this for you to read, debate the right and wrongs and such.

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/two-workers-who-died-following-6348686






Two workers died tragically on Saturday following a catastrophic disaster on the River Shannon.

Another man miraculously managed to swim to safety and was taken to University Hospital Limerick following the accident.

The men were carrying out structural works to Thomond Bridge in Limerick City when a cable attached to a crane holding a cage they were standing in snapped.

The cage was quickly released from the crane and crashed into the river, trapping the men under the surface.

Tom Cusack, 33, who is a volunteer with Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service, said: “We were alerted by the Coast Guard that there were three people in the water near Thomond Bridge.

“We were heading up towards the bridge when we spotted a man floating in the water with
his life jacket inflated.

“He told us he had managed to free himself from the cage, but there were two of his colleagues trapped in the cage under water.”

“We put him into the boat and we sped up to the bridge. When we arrived at the bridge the cage was submerged.

“We could see the two casualties clearly. They were submerged about two feet under the surface. The casualties were unresponsive.

“It was very unfortunate for those two men who lost their lives.”

A diver, who recovered one of the two deceased, said the life jackets the men were wearing had been clipped on to the cage and trapped them inside.

The rescuer, who did not want to be identified, said: “Their life jackets drowned them essentially. The very minute the life jackets hit the water they inflated.

“The lads were working out of a cage which was suspended out over the bridge. The cable snapped and catapulted the cage into the water.

“One man managed to clip off his safety jacket. The other two were trapped under the water.

“I cut one free and a driver with the fire service cut the other one free.

“We brought them to the surface and performed CPR at the scene because they went into cardiac arrest.

“Unfortunately, when the cage went into the water, the life jackets inflated and they were both brought to within two feet of the surface, but their lifejackets were clipped into the cage. They were short by just two feet. It’s terrible.”


A third man who had been in the cage at the time managed to free himself and swim to safety.

The incident sparked a major emergency operation involving the Shannon-based Coast Guard Rescue helicopter, Limerick City Fire Service and the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service.

A source said: “There were three men in a cage doing pointing work on the outside of Thomond Bridge. The cage snapped on a crane system and went into the water.

“They were all trapped in the cage under the water. One got free and was taken to hospital for observation. The other two men were not so fortunate.

“They were taken from the cage by divers from the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service and the swift water rescue swimmers from Limerick Fire Service. They were unconscious.”

One of the two is understood to have suffered a cardiac arrest before being brought to hospital.

Despite valiant efforts by paramedics to resuscitate the men at the scene, and later again at University Hospital Limerick, the men were pronounced dead at hospital shortly before 5pm yesterday.

A source added: “It’s really shocking. It’s such an unusual thing to have happened.

“It’s incredibly sad. I can’t imagine what these men’s families are going to be feeling.”

According to a source the three men were wearing life jackets and fall-arresting safety harnesses generally used in line rescues or by anyone working from dangerous heights.Gardai and the Health and Safety Authority are to conduct investigations into the incident. Remedial works started on the bridge last Monday and were scheduled to last for 10 weeks.

The job was sub-contracted by Limerick City and County Council to an as yet unknown firm.

A local authority source said: “These men were contract staff. They were specialist workers.

“The two men who have died were still harnessed into the cage under the water, so it looks like they couldn’t get out. It’s horrific.”

The scene at Thomond Bridge in Limerick

The search operation, which turned into a recovery operation, took 15 minutes before volunteers with the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Service were stood down.

The accident caused shock in the city as the desperate attempts to save the men unfolded.

Mayor of Limerick city, Jerry O’Dea, offered his sympathies to the families of those who died in the tragedy.

He said: “It is a terrible incident. As mayor of the city, I must say this is the most horrific tragedy.

“These were men who were working on restoring a bridge which is the gateway into our city – a historic landmark – when they died.

“My heartfelt condolences go to those who are involved in this tragic incident.”

Local Sinn Fein councillor Maurice Quinlivan tweeted: “Terrible desperate news coming out of Limerick. Thoughts are with familes, friends, fellow workers and emergency services.”

Fine Gael councillor Michael Hourigan said the tragedy has put a “terrible cloud” over the whole community.

He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “My deepest sympathies go the families of these two men. It’s terrible to think they died while doing a honest day of work.

“Incidents like this put a huge cloud over the whole community. It has an impact on everybody because it is so close to home.

“It is a terrible tragedy like this that brings home the danger of such work. This is a very sad incident for all those involved.”

Last night Limerick City and County Council released a statement.

It read: “It is with deep regret that Limerick City and County Council can confirm two employees of a firm contracted to undertake remedial works to Thomond Bridge in Limerick City have died in a workplace incident this afternoon.”

Two drowned in Construction accident.

Those of you with crane and lorry loader experience might have a look at this thread an offer a little insight please.
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?53898-Two-construction-workers-lose-their-lives-by-drowning&p=583849&viewfull=1#post583849

Tragic. More families left hurting. I am not familiar with the crane used but I wonder how they snapped the hoist line. I could not see a line at all in the picture. Could it have been one of them little axillary hoists on the boom. In the U.S.A. according to OSHA rules the only time a man basket can be used is if it is more danger to life and limb to build or use other means of access. That being said to use a basket the complete system must be tested each day and after each crane move with a 5,000 lb test weight attached to the bottom of the cage and hoisted at the maximum work radius. In addition safety lanyards are required but must be fastened to the hoist line at a point above the becket. I wonder if they were knocked out on impact. Safety lanyards are designed to be unsnapped with one hand so I suspect other circumstances kept them from unlatching them. I hope we hear what happened as the details unfold.

This story is very disturbing, as the workers seemed to do everything "by the book", wearing safety vests, fall arrest equipment etc., and this is what killed them.

They drowned as the cage fell into the water to which they were tied off,

It tragic that two men lost their lives and left families behind whom will be hurting for the rest of their lives. I do not know what the safety rules are in other countries but in the U.S.A. the system they were using would not come close to passing OSHA safety regulations. Inflatable life vests are not in compliance with OSHA here. Safety harnesses are to be worn on the outside of life jackets. The exception is there are some approved jackets made with a safety harness built in. The lanyards would have been on the outside where acessable with a standard life vest with the harness outside of that. Still don't know if they could have unhooked them from the cage but maybe. They may have been knocked out for all we know. Proper landyards can be unhooked with one hand. Furthermore in the USA when using a man basket, the safety lanyards must be tied off to the hoist line above the becket. That may have saved them. Why did the hoist line break is a big question. OSHA requirements state, that on each day a man basket is used, or anytime the hoisting device is relocated.the basket must be tested before a person gets in using a 5,000 lb weight attached to the bottom of the basket and the basket must be picked to the maximum work radius that will be used. There is a reason the line broke. I am not familar with the crane in the picture but it looks like a unit with a fixed hook on the knuckleboom. Two blocked perhaps? I hope they were not picking with the small axillary winch that many of these style cranes have. We all get upset with OSHA at times but there is usually a tragedy like this that brings the new rules into play. All stated here is speculation. I await to hear the results of the investigation.

Its tragic To see men lost on the job as theres always a way to prevent these losses.In regards to the regulations we all have to abide by at work I have to ask,Has any one ever seen a man fall from a proper man basket?Having spent years in the marine construction industry,including countless hours in a man basket or on a gilleyboard suspended over the water myself and many others in the industry have strongly resisted having to be tied off over water.following proper procedures such as a test lift prior to use of the basket,powerlowering on the hoist anti two block are all good.At the risk of sounding redneck,i think we ve rolled over and let the regulators have their way on this tie off business over water.

A have not (thank goodness) seen a man fall from a man basket but the OSHA investigation statistics are full of them. Most occurred when the basket caught on something and hung up tipping with tools and equipment from the bottom of the basket complcating matters as the workers fell out. Many are tips when the basket is being lifted not lowered. Most of the hangups lowering the basket were injuries but the baskets often tipped and slid back off the catch point throwing the tied off workers around and causing injuries. To your point regulations, unfortunately do not allow for common sense and varibles in the work being performed. There is a good chance these guys would have survived with a quick release tool belt on top of the flotation device if in this case they were coherent when they hit the water or if an open topped basket they may have floated to safety. Has anyone heard and more on this incident. I sure would like to read the investagation report when it becomes available.

From Stock's original post the following caught my eye ...... "The lads were working out of a cage which was suspended out over the bridge. The cable snapped and catapulted the cage into the water".

From that I get the impression that either the hook or the rigging between the hook on the knuckleboom (no hoist line on it that I can see from the photos) and the cage/man basket let go and as a result the man basket went into the water with the workers inside it and tied off. Thier lifejackets inflated automatically and caused them to rise towards the surface so they couldn't get to their tie-off clips to let them loose.

The only question I ask is why you would want to be tied off to a man basket and wearing an automatically-inflating lifejacket when working over water. Either be tied off and have a manually-inflating lifejacket or not be tied off and have an automatically-inflating lifejacket. The combination that these workers were using makes no sense to me and what happened in this incident appears to prove it.

Nige, I agree, that pretty much sums up what I was thinking. If you're going to tie off, it should have been a separate line anchored to the bridge or the frame of the truck or something other than below the link between the boom and the man basket, yeah? Tragedy in many ways, and should have been avoidable given all the advances in safety gear and training.

Was the basket pinned on? Almost looks like some sort of fabricated mount still attached to the boom.

You either wear the life jacket or the fall arrest , not both. Had a worker argue this exact thing a few years ago. Big company safety person wanted both and the guy tore a strip off of the safety person telling him that if the basket ends up in the drink you will find him suspended 10 or so feet above the basket as he would be unable to unhook his fall arrest. In the end he was told to wear the fall arrest.
If you have the fall arrest on why do you need a life jacket? The only way you would end up in the water is if the basket went in the water, which is what happened and the horrible end result is what will happen more often then not.

Cheers L D.

Nige said:

F
The only question I ask is why you would want to be tied off to a man basket and wearing an automatically-inflating lifejacket when working over water. Either be tied off and have a manually-inflating lifejacket or not be tied off and have an automatically-inflating lifejacket. The combination that these workers were using makes no sense to me and what happened in this incident appears to prove it.

Click to expand...

Since when does some OHS rules make sense?

I would guess with this being Ireland different rules apply. Maybe it would be interesting to find out exactly what the H&S rules require under these circumstances........and here they are, and very interesting they are too. I've just extracted what I think is relevant to this case from the section entitled "Working over Water"

"Any works over water are to be subject to the company “Permit to Work” system.
Where an independent electrically or mechanically operated hoist or cradle is used a competent operator must be provided, or sufficient training be given in its use. Some means of communication is to be provided for use in an emergency, a harness should in most cases not be used in a MEWP as this could led to drowning, a life jacket should be provided.
*MEWP - Mechanically Elevated Work Platform

Any hoist/cradle is to be checked, maintained and inspected/examined as per manufacturers or statutory requirements.
A buoyancy aid, of a tested and approved pattern, is to be worn by all personnel working over water.
Suitable rescue equipment, for example a boat, boathook, lifebelt or lifeline is to be in position and checked as serviceable before works are permitted to
commence.

I haven't read the specifics, did the cage not have two lines connecting it to the crane? A main cable and a safety cable.

CM, it wasn't a crane, it was a knuckleboom truck loader so no hoist line. What I am getting from reading the report of the incident in the media (and translating it into terminology I understand) either the hook of the knuckleboom or more likely the rigging connecting the hook to the man basket let go and dropped the basket along with the 3 occupants into the river.

Reading the regulations for working over water I am of the opinion that at least one of them, relating to NOT using a harness but instead to use an approved lifejacket, was not followed. The men who died were using both.

Nige I've seen some knuckle booms with a winch and hoist line but that's irrelevant as I didn't phrase my question correctly. I was headed out the door to travel 2 hours for an early ballgame after having a long Friday night.

If the cage was attached to the hook on the knuckle boom and the hook failed that's even more bizarre as they should have done an inspection prior to lowering the men in the cage. It's not that difficult to spot a damaged shackle, swivel hook or other mechanical connection.

There should've been two points of connection from the boom to the cage, one for service and one for safety if the original rigging fails.

This is such a tragic accident and my heart goes out to the families of the ones lost.