Failure to Prevent Movement of Casing Results in Fatality & $110,000 Fine

A worker was acting as signaler for a crane unloading drill casings from a truck. Three large, cylindrical casings were stacked on the ground in a pyramid. The bottom two casings weren’t chocked to prevent movement. While a fourth casing was being unloaded from the truck, the top casing in the pyramid fell between the two casings holding it up, pushing the bottom casings outward. One of those casings rolled and hit the fourth casing that was still suspended by the crane, which struck and killed the signaler. The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the bottom row of the pyramid of casings was chocked or wedged to prevent motion and was fined $110,000 [ECA Canada Co., Govt. News Release, March 6, 2013].