What happened?

All of us grow up wondering what we will do with our lives, what will make us happy and have aspirations to enjoy life. When we get to a point in our lives that we have to choose a career that will keep us fulfilled, challenged and content it could be difficult. This was not the case with Brandon!

Brandon was a young man that had passion for mechanical work and without hesitation went into apprenticing as a heavy-duty mechanic. His passion was demonstrated each day and his energy influenced others he worked with to always do their best.

Unfortunately, his life was cut short while doing what he loved on some of the biggest equipment used in the oilsands projects, the oilsands shovels. Mechanical work on these shovels requires the use of cranes and rigging equipment to lift and support most of the components of these shovels. Along with this comes sharp edges that will cause major stress on these rigging products and ultimately failure if applied or protected incorrectly. This was the case on the day of Brandon’s fatality.A large cable was being suspended by a mobile crane using a synthetic sling wrapped through a hole on a sheave supporting this cable. The mobile crane operator lowered the cable until the cable made contact with the ground and then stopped. It was at this point that Brandon along with another worker proceeded to approach the area where the cable was being suspended. While working in this area what happened next could have happened to anyone of us. The sling supporting the load snapped, dropped the cable and ultimately took the life of this young man immediately. No warning, no time to react.

What caused this tragic loss of life? What impact did this loss of life have on co-workers, friends, direct family, his parents? We do not even want to try to comprehend the emotion a parent would feel getting a call regarding this devasting incident, yet it could have, it should have been avoided.

The sling that failed was wrapped around a sheave that had sharp edges. And like many of us who rig loads, probably even yourself have attempted to do this with the use of rags! I do not think we have to explain why the sling failed or explain why we all continue to knowingly use what we know we should not be using to protect slings from failure.

Please, please, please!! Stop and think every time you place a sling on an edge or corner and ask yourself, “What implications may my actions have on others? What implications will it have on those watching what I am doing? What implications will it have on me and my family if something does go wrong?”

Brandon’s life was cut short, do not let his loss of life be forgotten. Every time you go to protect that sling from an edge, think of the cost that someone has paid because of our failure.