9 Nassco Workers Are Injured as 22-Ton Shaft Breaks Loose and Falls

Nine workers at National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. were injured Wednesday when a 22-ton steel shaft broke loose and plunged to the floor of a dry dock at the San Diego shipyard, shattering a scaffolding where employees were at work.

The accident was called the worst at the troubled shipyard since six workers were killed and six others were injured last July when a crane-operated steel basket carrying the men fell onto the deck of a Navy supply ship.

In Wednesday’s incident, the most seriously injured worker was listed in serious but stable condition at Mercy Hospital, said Fred Hallett, a company spokesman. Two other victims with “moderate” injuries were admitted to UC San Diego Medical Center, he said. However, a hospital spokesman said one person was in critical condition.

Names Not Available

Another victim was being evaluated for entry into the medical center, Hallett said, and five others were treated and were to be released from area hospitals.

The names of most of the injured were not immediately available.

The accident occurred at 6 p.m. as workers were attempting to reconnect a 36-foot-long shaft to the Navy destroyer Elliot as part of an overhaul of the vessel, said Hallett, who is also company vice president for finance.

The shaft, one of several that power the ship’s propellers, broke loose for unknown reasons and plunged 25 feet, crushing the scaffolding, said Hallett, who addressed reporters gathered outside the harborside facility along with workers and anxious relatives.

Source of Injury Unclear

The cause of the accident had yet to be determined, Hallett said. A union official linked it to recent management changes at the facility--a charge denied by Hallett.

Some, if not all, of the injured were working on two levels of the 14-foot-high scaffolding when the shaft broke loose, said Robert Sumler, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire Department. It was not clear whether the men were injured by the fall or by debris, or whether anyone was struck directly by the falling shaft.

The accident occurred as the shaft was being lifted into position by a pneumatic hoisting device. Union officials speculated that the device malfunctioned, perhaps because the heavy chains couldn’t hold the weight or because the pressure caused a failure in one of the pins holding the chains together.

Hallett, the company spokesman, declined to speculate on possible causes of the accident.

Tensions Already High

Only one of the injured, Leroy Smith, was identified late Wednesday. Smith was in fair condition at UCSD Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said.

The incident seemed certain to increase already-high tensions between the shipbuilder and its workers.

Robert Godinez, president of Iron Workers Local 627, which represents employees at the yard, charged that the accident was related to recent company-forced procedural changes. Godinez said Nassco implemented policies last October in which the duties of specialized “loft riggers” were also parceled out to other general, less-qualified riggers.

“If they had had the people who normally do this job, (the accident) never would have happened,” Godinez said.

Riggers ‘Highly Trained’

Hallett denied the charge and said that all four riggers working on the job were qualified as “loft riggers.”

“They were all highly trained,” he said.

Wages have also been an issue of contention at Nassco. Last October, the company, citing economic necessity, slashed wages for most of its 2,500 employees. The cuts topped 50% for some.

The union has fought the cuts, and appealed the action to the National Labor Relations Board. The board has rejected the appeal, Hallett said.

The union has also contended that Nassco has cut corners on safety--an allegation denied by the company.

Under Close Scrutiny

Since last July’s fatal accident, Nassco operations have come under close scrutiny by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The agency cited Nassco for 470 instances of alleged workplace safety violations. The citations amount to a total of $72,300 in proposed penalties. The company is appealing most of the findings.

Nassco, one of the nation’s shipbuilding giants, experienced a loss in operating income of $10.7 million last year on sales of $116 million--its first loss since the 1970s, according to Hallett. The loss reflected a nationwide depression in the industry, he said.

The Elliot arrived at the shipyard for refurbishing in September; work was scheduled to be completed this October, Hallett said.