RESCUE REPORT: Industrial accident leaves man trapped between crane and steel plates
Photo Courtesy Portland Fire & Rescue

On Jan. 7, Portland (Ore.) firefighters used skill and ingenuity to successfully rescue a worker who had been in an accident at an industrial facility.

The Portland Emergency Communications Bureau received the 911 call reporting the incident at Oregon Steel Mills at 1802 HRS. Within a minute of the call, Portland Fire Department Engine 22 responded, along with an American Medical Response ALS unit. The department then added Truck 22, Engine 26 and Battalion Chief C-1 to the response.

As more information was received, it became apparent that this was a technical rescue call, so the department dispatched Engine 1, Squad 1 and Truck 1. Because of the potential severity of the injuries, a Life Flight helicopter was dispatched as well. Engine 26 was then assigned to manage a helicopter landing zone.


When Engine 22 firefighters arrived at the scene, the crew found a 40-year-old patient approximately 40 feet inside the large, metal-clad building, trapped between the lower part of an overhead crane and a stack of large steel plates, which were approximately 8 feet x 15 feet in size. He was conscious, alert and oriented, but in pain.

It appeared that the accident happened when the patient was struck by the rolling crane, which travelled on a pair of metal tracks. The man was suddenly spun around and pinned between a lower leg of the crane and a 5-foot-tall stack of half-inch steel plates. The patient was jammed in a space about 13 inches wide, in a kneeling position, with a leg entrapped and one arm compressed. In addition, a wooden 2 x 4, acting as a spacer in the stack of sheets, was pressing against his ribs.
As rescuers began their work, paramedics provided oxygen and began IVs in each arm.
Additionally, to avoid any accidental movement of the crane, which might endanger patient and rescuers, firefighters locked-out and tagged-out the crane’s power source.

In their quick evaluation of rescue options, rescuers immediately ruled out trying to free the patient by simply backing up the crane, as this likely would have caused him additional injury. Rescuers also considered cutting away a portion of the steel plate on the crane that was pressing on him, but that would have been too difficult because of the way the plate was attached the structure of the crane.

The only other option: to somehow move the steel sheets away from the patient; however, each plate was too heavy to move by hand. There was a second crane that could lift the plates, but rescuers were concerned that as the crane raised the plates, they might flex and swing, possibly further injuring the patient.

Because of the weight of the steel plates, the second crane was the only option for lifting them, so rescuers had to find a way to prevent the plates from hitting the patient. The workers decided to use hydraulic spreaders, placed between the plates, and sturdy 5-foot-tall bollards, a part of the factory’s structure, to initially push the plates away from the patient. With the rescue rig parked outside the doors, rescuers extended the 50' hydraulic line to the patient and had an additional 10 feet of hose left.

To prevent the steel sheets from slipping back against the patient during the lift, rescuers decided to use a combination of airbags and wooden wedges as cribbing.

The second crane, operated by wireless remote, was rated at 10,000 lbs., meaning that it could lift five sheets at a time. Because of his familiarity with the equipment, an Oregon Steel Mills worker was assigned to operate the crane.

Rescuers continued removing the stack of plates until the stack was about 1 foot off ground. This freed all portions of the patient’s body. Just as he was freed, the patient lost consciousness. He was intubated, backboarded, placed on an ambulance gurney and wheeled to the helicopter. The patient was transport by Life Flight to Emanuel Hospital in critical condition. The time from arrival to complete extrication was 59 minutes.

Sources: Portland Fire Department Lt. Medic Bill Barri and lieutenants Eric Pedersen and Bill Goforth provided information for this report.

LESSONS LEARNED/LESSONS REINFORCED:
Lieutenants Barri and Pedersen noted in an e-mail, “Without their expertise in operating the equipment, it would have taken significantly longer for us to free the victim. An important lesson learned from this incident and similar industrial accidents we’ve responded to was to not hesitate to use the expertise of facility personnel and their specialized equipment. Their machinery is designed to handle the materials at the site, and the workers are usually very knowledgeable about their capacities and operation. We need to make sure our plan and their role are plainly communicated and understood. Assign fire personnel one-on-one with them to monitor any potentially hazardous procedures and to maintain communications.

“Also, as with many other types of responses, anticipating resource needs and starting additional responders or specialized equipment early will always be helpful. Canceling unneeded resources is better than trying to play catch-up as the incident evolves.”

Rescue Editor Tom Vines is the co-author of “High Angle Rescue Techniques” and “Confined Space and Structural Rope Rescue.” He operates a rope-rescue consulting group in Red Lodge, Mont.

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