Date of incident: February 2022
Notice of incident number: 2022161290004
Employer: Mobile home transportation and services company

Incident summary
Three workers were placing a mobile home into position on a residential lot. While the workers were installing cinderblock piers (concrete block pillars) to support the mobile home, which was elevated above the ground, the temporary support that was holding up the home failed. The home fell to the ground, fatally injuring one worker.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Mobile home shifted and fell during installation. While the workers were installing supporting cinderblock piers for the mobile home, the mobile home shifted laterally and some of the piers broke and toppled over. As a result, the mobile home fell while workers were working under it. Because of the lateral shift, the temporary wooden cribbing (made from stacked 2×4 and 2×6 lumber) used during the installation was unable to support the home when it fell.

Contributing factors

• Inadequate use of temporary cribbing. Temporary cribbing was placed under the home during the installation, but the employer did not ensure that the cribbing was bearing the load of the home.
• Inadequate hazard identification and risk assessment. The employer did not conduct an adequate hazard identification and risk assessment for the work of installing a mobile home. The undocumented hazard identification and risk assessment performed failed to identify the consequences of the load of the home being placed onto the cinderblock piers or of a lateral shift of the home.
• Inadequate installation procedure. The procedure used to install the home placed workers under the home while it was suspended by a winchline and safety chain, which contravenes the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requirement to not work under a suspended load. The procedure also placed workers under the home while temporary wooden cribbing was supporting the home when they were installing the permanent cinderblock piers. During the erection or dismantling of a structure or equipment, employers must ensure that all partially assembled structures or components are supported as necessary to safely withstand any loads likely to be imposed on them.

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