Restricted work case (RWC): Injury to foot caused by moving roller

  • Safety Flash
  • Published on 10 April 2014
  • Generated on 27 February 2026
  • IMCA SF 05/14
  • 2 minute read

A Member has reported an incident in which a person sustained an injury to his right foot caused by a moving roller in pipe-handling equipment.

What happened?

The injury happened when a crewman took a window of opportunity during a short repair period to paint pipe numbers on the ends of the pipes. The operator of the roller did not ensure that the area was clear moving the roller, and the crewman was caught by the roller and sustained a crush injury to the right foot.

Position of injured person’s right foot

Position of injured person’s right foot

Injured person’s position at time of incident

Injured person’s position at time of incident

Diagram of incident site

Diagram of incident site

The investigation revealed the following:

  • Operator operating the roller machines failed to ensure the ramp way/area was clear before activating the pipe transfer machines.
  • There was a lack of supervision from the work supervisor.
  • The operator of the roller machine was not able to communicate effectively with other workers.

Our member took the following corrective actions:

  • The task of numbering of pipes was transferred to another, safer, location.
  • An alarm warning system was installed to alert the operator of the presence of personnel in the path of the rollers.
  • Signage was installed warning personnel that they were ‘in the line of fire’ in this location.

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