B.C. Marine and Pile Driving Contractors’ Association

Safety Bulletin

April 2006

Cutting Salvaged Pipe Piling to Length

An employer having salvaged a number of 12-inch diameter pipe piles, assigned a 2-man crew to cut the piling into predetermined length for a future project. The crew consisted of an experienced journeyman and a first year apprentice. A hazard analysis was performed prior to the work commencing and a work procedure was written and reviewed. The piles were concrete filled with reinforcing steel extending approximately 80 % of the length of the piles. The written procedure specified that blocking was to be used to support the entire length of the pile. Using a cutting torch the top half of the pile was to be cut. The pile was then to be rolled over and the cut completed. At this point the pile was still connected because of the concrete and reinforcing steel. The next step in the procedure was to lift the pile with the forklift, thereby snapping the concrete and exposing the reinforcing strands. The final step was to cut the exposed reinforcing strands ensuring that both sections of the pile were continuously supported.

During the third day of the work the journeyman due to an emergency was temporarily assigned to other work. The apprentice was left alone to continue the work. A pile had been set up but blocking had not been placed under the short end. The apprentice completed the topside cut and instead of rolling the pile to complete the cut he continued cutting the underside. At the moment the cut was complete the unsupported end of the pile fell pinning the apprentice’s hand. This incident resulted in serious injuries to the worker’s hand including burns, nerve damage and partial amputation of the thumb and fingers.

The apprentice’s reason for not rolling the pile to complete the cut was because up to this point all the previous pile sections had remained connected because of the presence of the reinforced concrete inside the pile. Unfortunately this time the area being cut only contained concrete. The reinforcing steel was not present. The instant the cut was complete the concrete alone could not support the weight of the short section and it fell pinning the apprentice’s hand.

The physical cause of the incident was the lack of reinforcing steel at the cut off point.

The human causes of this incident were:

1) Assuming the reinforcing steel extended the length of the pile

1) Not following the safe work procedures

2) Working alone

3) Not properly supervising an inexperienced worker

Developing good work procedures contributes to the level of safety on the work site. But following those procedures is essential in ensuring an injury free work site.