The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released its findings after the investigation of a death in the northwest part of Wichita at the construction site of the new water treatment facility.
The report says at 9:30 a.m. on March 10, 2022, crews were trying to hoist a six-foot by 48-inch pipe using a crane; the pipe was secured using chains, chockers, and a spreader beam.
As the pipe was being lifted, a chain snapped, causing the spreader beam to swing loose. The beam then struck 55-year-old Manuel Esparza in the chest, killing him.
The investigation determined the method being used to lift the pipe could not support the weight, leading to the chain breaking. Esparza’s employer, Utility Contractors, Inc. was cited for failing to keep the workplace free “from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”
The company was also cited for equipment it used to attempt to hoist the pipe; Utility Contractors, Inc. was assessed a penalty of less than $14,000.