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NIOSH Safety Advisory
May 08, 2008
Revised Date: June 24, 2008
Improper Set-up of
Aerial Ladders with a Locking Waterway May Put Fire
Fighters at Risk
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Photo 1 - A properly seated pin
at the fly section for defensive
water stream operations is
highlighted in the red circle.
The hole behind it (yellow
arrow) shows the location where
the pin would be inserted (from
the top) to keep the monitor
assembly back at the second
ladder section for rescue mode.
NOTE: Various methods are used
throughout the fire apparatus
industry to secure the waterway:
this picture represents a
pin-anchored waterway design.
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NIOSH recommends that all fire departments
utilizing aerial ladder trucks with locking
(pin-anchored, lever actuated, clamped)
waterways immediately take the following
actions to reduce the risk of fire fighters
being struck by unsecured waterways or parts
of the waterway:
Ensure that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
and/or Guidelines (SOGs) on setting up
multi-position waterways include steps to properly
position the waterway and to inspect and verify that
the locking mechanism (anchoring pin(s), lever,
clamps, etc.) are properly installed and functioning
as designed before pressurizing the waterway.
Properly train and practice the correct method of
securing waterways and verifying they are secured
(per manufacturer’s recommendations).
NIOSH is currently investigating an April 8, 2008
fire fighter line-of-duty-death that illustrates
that adhering to manufacturer recommended set-up
procedures for aerial ladder operations is paramount
to ensuring fire fighter safety.
Preliminary findings in this investigation suggest
that some equipment designs do not provide secondary
stops for the waterway on aerial adders. Thus,
failure to properly secure the waterway in the
proper position can lead to catastrophic waterway
failure and possible serious or fatal injury to fire
fighters working in the area. The pin-anchored
waterway design involved in this particular
investigation is not limited to a single model or
apparatus manufacturer. During this investigation,
NIOSH became aware of at least 10 similar incidents
that occurred in Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey,
Texas, Virginia, California, Minnesota, Missouri and
Ontario without serious injury. Newer aerial ladder
trucks may incorporate different types of anchoring
mechanisms and/or a more fail-safe design but proper
set up still needs to be verified before operation.
Circumstances of incident under investigation by
NIOSH
On April 8, 2008, a volunteer Deputy Fire Chief (the
Incident Commander), was killed when struck by a
motorized water monitor and 30 feet of aluminum pipe
that was “launched” off an elevated aerial ladder at
a fire at an industrial manufacturing plant in
Pennsylvania. The truck was normally transported in
the “rescue mode” with the monitor pinned to the
second section of ladder so that the waterway would
not be in the way if the ladder was set up for
rescue operations. At the incident scene, when the
waterway was pressurized, the monitor and its
support bracket, along with the last 30-foot section
of pipe were “launched” off the aerial ladder by the
force of the water pressure in the pipe. The
monitor flew approximately 75 feet and fell,
striking the Incident Commander on the head, killing
him instantly. After the incident, the anchor pin
was found on the ground, in front of the truck’s
cab. The waterway did not include any secondary
mechanical stops to prevent the separation of the
water monitor in the event the anchoring pin was not
properly seated. The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality
Investigation and Prevention Program is currently
investigating this incident and a full report will
be available at a later date.
NIOSH would like to bring this information to the
attention of all U.S. fire departments and fire
fighters who operate or work around aerial ladder
trucks with locking (pin-anchored, lever actuated,
clamped) waterways so that future occurrences of
waterway monitor “launches” or the unexpected
movement of the waterway monitor can be prevented.
If secondary mechanical stops are present, the
unexpected impact of the waterway monitor against
the mechanical stop could cause structural damage to
the aerial ladder and jeopardize the safety of any
fire fighter standing on the aerial ladder. While
not a contributing factor in the fatal incident,
NIOSH reminds fire departments to comply with
relevant federal regulations and NFPA standards for
fire apparatus inspections and certification. |
