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Farmer Dies After Being Struck By A Field Drag Section
No full textA 74-year-old male farmer (victim) died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a field drag section which stuck to a rear tire of the tractor he was driving. The tractor was not equipped with either a rollover protective structure or a general purpose cab. A front-end loader, equipped with a general purpose bucket, was mounted on the tractor. He was assembling sections of a field drag in an open area near his farm grove. He placed the sections in the loader bucket to haul them from the farm grove. While hauling a section of the drag from the grove, the section fell from the bucket. Apparently he didn't notice it fall from the bucket. As he drove forward, the left front and left rear tractor tires drove over the section. The drag tines punctured the rear tire and apparently the drag section stuck to the rear tire. As he continued driving forward, the drag section was carried up and around the rear tire and struck the victim in the back of the head. He was knocked from the tractor and was found dead in the area where he was assembling the drag sections. MN FACE investigators concluded that, in order to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences, the following guidelines should be followed: 1. all items, such as equipment, machines, construction material, rocks, etc., hauled in loader buckets should be tied or chained securely to the bucket; and 2. tractors equipped with loaders should also be equipped with an enclosed rollover protective structure or a general purpose cab.Cooperative Agreemen
Truck Porter Dies From Head Injury Complications When He Fell From Either the ICC Bumper or Deck of a Semi-Trailer
Get PDFIn summer 2012, a male truck porter in his 60s died due to head injuries sustained in an unwitnessed fall. The truck trailer had been loaded with empty kegs which had been shrink-wrapped and placed on pallets. The pallet-keg combination weighing approximately 470 pounds was loaded by forklift into the trailer. When the trailer was loaded, the decedent drove the semi-truck/trailer to the fueling area. The decedent opened the trailer door to place the shipping manifest in the semi-trailer. Although the injury sequence of events was unknown, the decedent most likely used the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) bumper to access the trailer deck. It is unknown if the decedent was on the ICC bumper or had stepped up onto the deck at the time of his fall. In an attempt to regain his balance, he grabbed the shrink-wrapped kegs and as he fell, the kegs and pallet were pulled down with him. The decedent was found by a coworker lying on his back on the ground with a wooden pallet on his legs and empty kegs strewn around him. The coworker ran to a nearby building and requested assistance. Emergency response was called, and the decedent was transported to a local hospital where he died several days later from the head injuries sustained at the time of the incident. The incident investigation found one shipping manifest on the deck of the trailer and the second manifest under the trailer. Possible contributing factors to this incident: 1. Using the ICC bumper as an access to the trailer deck. 2. Height of shipping manifest pocket on the trailer wall. Recommendations: 1. Develop a written truck yard health and safety program that includes safe work procedures for truck porters. 2. Ensure access ladders available to workers to climb onto trailer deck. 3. Employers and/or trailer manufactures should consider mounting the shipping manifest pocket at a height easily accessed from ground level.Cooperative Agreemen
A stationary engineer died when the multi-piece tire and wheel he was disassembling exploded
Get PDFA stationary engineer working at an airport died when the tire and wheel he was disassembling exploded. The tire and wheel had been removed from an airport passenger boarding bridge and placed in the airport maintenance shop by the employees on the previous shift. The victim and a co-worker were removing the nuts and bolts that held the wheel together when the tire and wheel assembly exploded, striking the victim in the head and neck. The valve stem was not removed from the tube within the tire to release the air pressure. The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent similar future incidents, employers with workers who change multi-piece tires should: 1. Implement policies and procedures as part of a safety program to ensure that tires are deflated prior to wheel disassembly. 2. Remove all pneumatic tires and replace with solid rubber tires. 3. Consider providing employees with certified training in commercial tire service (CTS), or hire companies with CTS technicians.Cooperative Agreemen
Two Semis Collide - Fire Ensues; Both Drivers Perish
Get PDFOne summer's night, A 49 year-old semi-truck driver (D1), pulling a flatbed loaded with salvage cars for recycling traveled north on a three-lane state highway. D1 topped a hill, drove through a right curve when the unit rolled onto the driver's side, slide across the center line and entered a straight stretch approximately half way to the bottom of a hill. As D1's unit was sliding down the hill in the south bound lanes, a 52 year-old semi-truck driver (D2) hauling bottled beverages was traveling south in the straight stretch up the hill. As D1 slide down the hill, D2 tried to avoid being struck head-on and struck the guardrail. D2 was struck by D1; both vehicles caught fire and both drivers died at the scene. To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: Recommendation No. 1: Transportation companies should educate commercial drivers on proper load securement. Recommendation No. 2: Transportation companies should require drivers to utilize restraints while operating commercial vehicles. Recommendation No. 3: Electronic stability systems should be mandatory equipment on all commercial vehicles. Recommendation No. 4: Companies should provide new and refresher commercial driver safety training for company drivers addressing driver distraction and including defensive driving techniques.Cooperative Agreemen
Tree Trimmer Dies When He is Pulled into a Wood Chipper
Get PDFA Hispanic male tree trimmer died after he was pulled into a wood chipper while feeding branches into the machine. The victim was part of a two-man crew that was trimming trees along a residential street when the incident occurred. The wood chipper had a built-in safety device called the feed control bar that was located on the top and both sides of the feed chute, however it is not known if it was working at the time of the incident. The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent future occurrences, employers, as part of their Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), should: 1. Ensure that employees never operate a wood chipper alone. 2. Ensure that all employees stand to the side of the feed table when feeding trimmings into the wood chipper. 3. Ensure that employees are thoroughly trained and tested on the operation of wood chippers. 4. Ensure that a documented inspection report is completed every time a wood chipper is used and kept on file.Cooperative Agreemen
Family Dairy Farm Worker Dies When Tractor Rolls Down Embankment
Get PDFOn July 28, 2020, a 56-year-old family dairy farm worker died when his tractor rolled down an embankment. He was operating a tractor built in 1971 that did not have a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and seat belt. The tractor was towing a 25-plus-foot lagoon pump trailer on a narrow, bumpy, and rutted dirt track road. The road was on the crest of an earthen embankment that surrounded the farm's manure pond. The lone worker was using the pump to agitate water and cow waste solids stored in the pond and spray the mixture as soil fertilizer in nearby feed crop fields. The pond area was dark, as it was two hours before sunrise. The only light came from the tractor and nearby farm buildings. The tractor was traveling close to the unmarked edge of the road. As the tractor turned sharply near its final destination, its front left wheel got caught in a rut that caused the tractor to roll over the edge down the outer slope of the embankment. The worker fell to the ground, and the tractor's 3-point hitch fatally pinned him against his back.Cooperative Agreemen
School Crossing Guard Struck by Vehicle
Get PDFIn Winter 2018, a female crossing guard in her 50s was struck by a vehicle while in the crosswalk attempting to stop oncoming traffic. The decedent was wearing a Type R (Class II) high visibility safety vest and using a hand-held stop sign with flashing lights. She also had a walkie-talkie and whistle. As she walked out into the crosswalk to stop motorists traveling east/west, she was struck by an eastbound minivan whose driver stated that due to sun glare, did not see her and did not apply the vehicle brakes. The decedent struck the hood and front passenger-side windshield of the minivan. Emergency response was called, and she was transferred to a local hospital where she died approximately one week later. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS - Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include: 1. No advance warning of school zone in speed zone of 35 mph. 2. Possibly not properly trained. 3. Sun glare on dirt/haze covered windshield of vehicle striking decedent. RECOMMENDATIONS/DISCUSSION - MIFACE investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Evaluate school crossings at least once every 5 years to determine if current crossing practices are the best option to ensure safety of both students and, if utilized, school crossing guards. 2. Municipalities should consider additional measures to increase visibility or slow traffic at intersections during school crossing periods. 3. Set and enforce speed limits of not more than 20 mph in school zones where crossing guards are required for student safety. 4. School districts utilizing crossing guards should ensure that the guard meets the requirements of the Michigan Vehicle Code and Michigan Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. 5. Municipalities should ensure appropriate school signage is installed at school crosswalks. 6. To minimize the effects of sun glare, vehicle operators should take appropriate precautions, including regular cleaning of both the inside and the outside of the vehicle's windows and windshield.Cooperative Agreemen
Electrical Contractor Crew Leader Electrocuted
No full textThe case of a male crew leader who was electrocuted while connecting a newly installed, concrete pad mounted transformer for a new residence was examined. The victim was employed by an electrical contractor who had a written safety policy, a comprehensive safety and training program, and a full time safety officer. The victim and two crew members were to splice a pad mounted transformer into an existing underground 7200 volt primary cable. The primary line was deenergized at an adjacent transformer, but when the line was cut, an arc occurred. The victim drove to the main switch cabinet, removed a blown fuse and its holder, and had the primary wire tested. He then returned the adjacent transformer to service and began to work on the primary. After about 1 1/2 minutes, the victim groaned and fell onto a crew member, who received a shock. The victim was apparently unaware of the existence of a back up generator. He was therefore not aware that current could feed back through the transformer on which he was working to the primary line even though he had removed the fuse and fuse holder from the main switch cabinet. If the automatic transfer switch was operated manually at some time after the battery powered generator was activated, current would appear in the primary wire. It is stressed that before any work on an electrical system, it is important that each person knows and understands the functioning of each component of that system. This is particularly important in cases where the system being worked on is underground and the direction of the current flow cannot be traced.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Laborer Dies in Explosion
No full textThe case of an 18 year old male laborer who died as a result of an explosion that occurred while he was making repairs on the interior of a tanker truck compartment was examined. The victim was employed by a truck and trailer repair shop that had no written safety policy or safety program. All employees received on the job training. The victim worked for the company for 45 days. The victim was to repair a crack in an interior compartment wall of a tanker truck. The compartment to be fixed, number 3, was steam cleaned while the other three compartments of the truck were left sealed. The compartment atmosphere was not tested for toxicity or explosiveness prior to entrance. The victim entered the compartment and used an electric grinder to prepare the crack for welding. An explosion occurred in compartment 2. The top sections of the double wall separating compartments 2 and 3 were blown off and wrapped around the victim's head, crushing his skull. The manifest indicated that compartments 1 and 2 had previously been filled with gasoline. All four compartment drains were open which may have allowed explosive vapors to accumulate in the drain lines. If the atmosphere in the compartment had been tested prior to the beginning of work, it may have alerted the victim that a problem existed. Had all four compartments been steam cleaned and drained, the possibility of explosion would have been reduced. It was also noted that the power cord on the grinder had visible bare conductors and should have been repaired.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Farmer falls to his death from a combine during maintenance
Get PDFA 74-year-old Iowa farmer fell to his death while getting his combine ready for an auction sale. He had retired one year ago, rented out his land, but was still living on the farm. He was now selling the remaining farm machinery and equipment. He was doing maintenance work on a 1969 model combine which was sitting in his farm yard on a concrete patch adjacent to a corn crib. He needed to add antifreeze to the radiator which is located on the right side of the engine on top of the combine. To perform this task he needed to climb on top of the combine using the stationary service ladder on the right side of the machine, then stand on the top steps of the ladder or the maintenance platform behind the engine area. There are no guardrails at this location on this machine. The events were not witnessed, but it appears the man fell from the ladder or platform and received fatal head injuries while falling to the concrete patch in the narrow space between the combine and the crib wall. There was antifreeze dripping from the top of the machine so it appears that he fell or slipped while climbing up, pouring, or climbing down after pouring antifreeze into the radiator. There were no obvious protrusions on the combine or the crib wall which could have caused the head injuries. There were some fist-sized stones on the old worn concrete surface, and they could have contributed to the head injury. This was a hot morning and the temperature may be a contributing factor also. The victim had diabetes, although it was well under control and had not previously caused dizzy spells. He was last seen approximately 10:00 a.m. by his wife and was found lying unresponsive between the combine and the wall at approximately 1:45 p.m. Recommendations based on our investigation are as follows: 1. Machinery manufacturers should provide safe service ladders with handholds for safe access to elevated service areas. 2. Machinery manufacturers should provide adequate fall protection at elevated service platforms. 3. Workers should take extra precaution while working on older machinery which lacks safety features.Publication Date provided by FACE program; not printed on the report.Cooperative Agreemen