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Farmer Killed When Tricycle Tractor With Front-End Loader Overturns
Get PDFDuring the fall of 2002 a 38-year-old Iowa farmer was killed when his tractor overturned in a cattle feedlot. This narrow-front 1966 model tractor was equipped with a frontend loader, and had been in the family for three decades. The man was moving a small pile of dirt from the farmyard to the feedlot to repair soil erosion next to a building and a feed trough. The area was slightly sloped to the Northeast. The farmer had a full load of dirt in the raised front-end loader bucket. He had just entered the feedlot area, and turned left towards the concrete feed troughs, positioning the tractor to unload the bucket. The overturn was not witnessed and the conditions leading to the overturn are not fully clear. The findings suggest that a combination of several factors may have resulted in the overturn. These factors include narrow front of the tractor, raised front end loader with a heavy load, moving slightly downhill, slightly uneven ground, turning left, and slowing down while turning. These factors may have added to the momentum at this critical point sufficiently overturning the tractor to the right. The tractor rolled 180 degrees, coming to rest upside down. The farmer was crushed underneath and killed instantly. This tractor had no Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS), which would likely have saved this man's life by preventing a complete rollover. However, for this fairly common tractor model, there are no commercially available ROPS on the market. Recommendations based on our investigation are as follows: 1. All tractors should be equipped with Roll Over Protective Structures (ROPS). 2. ROPS should be designed for all common tractor makes and models. 3. Narrow-front (tricycle type) tractors should not be equipped with front-end loaders.Cooperative Agreemen
Logger Killed When Struck By Lodged Tree That Fell
Get PDFOn June 20, 2006, a 48-year-old male logger was killed after he was struck in the back by a tree that fell onto him. His primary job function was that of a mechanical harvester operator. At some point, while working alone, the decedent attempted to fell a 20-inch diameter tree with a chain saw. The tree was not properly notched. This tree fell as directed by the notch and became lodged on a small branch in a nearby standing tree. The lodged tree was not removed prior to the decedent beginning delimbing work on another felled tree on the ground, which was in the fall path of the lodged tree. While the decedent was delimbing the tree on the ground with a chainsaw, the lodged tree fell, striking him in the back. His chainsaw was last heard running at about 1:30 p.m. A fellow logger walked to the incident area at approximately 5:20 p.m. and found the decedent's head and neck pinned against the tree he was delimbing by the tree that fell onto him. The site supervisor called 911. When emergency response arrived, the logger was declared dead at the scene. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Logging employers should develop, train employees in, and ensure the practice of safe felling procedures, such as but not limited to, a prohibition for working under "danger" trees and chain saw tree-felling techniques. 2. Logging employers should develop a procedure to check on the safety of fallers and buckers working beyond the hearing range of coworkers at regular intervals. 3. Employers should provide employee safety and health training as prescribed by appropriate MIOSHA standards.Cooperative Agreemen
Three Tower Painters Die After Falling 1,200 Feet When Riding the Hoist Line - North Carolina
No full textA 40-year-old tower-painting-company owner, his 10-year-old stepson, and a 19-year-old employee died after falling 1,200 feet when the hoist line on a portable capstan hoist used to raise them up the side of a 1,500-foot -high radio tower began slipping around the capstan, causing the hoist operator to lose control of the hoist line. The company had been at the site for 2 weeks to repair the beacon light at the top of the tower, paint the tower, and install rest platforms on the tower. On the day of the incident, the owner was going to work on the beacon light at the top of the tower while the two other workers were going to continue painting the tower. A 3,000-foot length of 3/4 inch nylon rope and a 1,000-pound -capacity portable electric capstan hoist was used to assist them in riding the hoist line, were tied into the hoist line approximately 6 feet apart. The stepson was first on the line, then the 19-year-old, then the company owner. Using a length of woven rope, the male workers had attached one of the rest platforms to the end of the nylon rope 62 inches below the last loop. The company owner's wife was operating the capstan hoist using a foot pedal located on the ground. As the wife was operating the hoist and hoisting the men up the side of the tower, the hoist line began to lip around the capstan. The wife tried to hold the rope, but could not and the men fell to the ground. The wife went to the tower's service building and called the radio station that owned the tower, who in turn told her to call 911. The owner of the company that maintained the county equipment attached to the tower was in his truck and hear via radio that the county emergency medical service had been dispatched to the scene. He proceeded to the scene and was the first responder to arrive. The county fire rescue squad arrived next, then the county emergency medical service. Due to the extent of the victims' injuries, no first aid was initiated. After the county sheriff's personnel secured the scene, the victims were taken to the local hospital, where they were officially pronounced dead. NIOSH investigators concluded that to help prevent similar incidents, employers should: Ensure the hoisting equipment used to lift personnel is designed to prevent uncontrolled descent and is properly rated for the intended use; comply with OSHA Compliance Directive CPL 2 -1.29 "Interim Inspection Procedures During Communication Tower Construction Activities" during maintenance and construction activities on tower; ensure that worker inspect equipment on a daily basis to identify and damage or deficiencies; ensure that required personal protective equipment is available and properly used; know and comply with child labor laws which include prohibitions against work by youth less than 18 years of age in occupations which are declared by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous (Hazardous Orders). Additionally: Tower owners should ensure that workers adhere to OSHA Compliance Directive CPL 2-1.29 while performing maintenance or construction activities on their towers
Farmworker Dies in Grain Bin Engulfment
Get PDFOn Tuesday, March 17, 2020, a 44-year-old male farmworker (victim) was unloading corn from a large grain bin using an auger mounted on the bottom when the corn within the bin became lodged. The victim entered the grain bin in an attempt to dislodge the product when the bridged corn collapsed resulting in the employee falling and becoming engulfed. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include: 1. Lack of hazard recognition 2. Failure to utilize fall protection 3. No emergency action plan. RECOMMENDATIONS Kentucky FACE investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Employers should implement a job hazard analysis process. 2. Employers should implement an emergency action plan. 3. Employers should require employees to utilize adequate fall protection when entering a grain bin is necessary. 4. Employers should train employees on the known hazards associated with grain bin entry.Cooperative Agreemen
Lineman Electrocuted in North Carolina [FACE 86-09]
No full textA 34 year old male lineman was electrocuted while attempting to install a 37.5 kilovolt (kV) transformer on a new pole. The new pole was situated next to the old pole, and the 13.2kV primary conductor had been transferred to the new pole. A U-shaped connector was clamped to the primary conductor which served to connect the transformer input wire to the primary conductor. The primary conductor and U-shaped connector were energized throughout the installation of the transformer. An insulated line hose covered the conductor, but part of the connector remained exposed. As he guided the transformer with his right hand and operated the controls with his left, the victim contacted the connector of the primary conductor. His body was leaning over the steel cable rigging of the assembly when the contact occurred with the connector, which was only 2 feet 4 inches above the bucket. A co worker was removing a tool belt from the truck at the time and was also injured due to electric shock. Recommendations arising out of this accident include: covering all energized conductors and any connections to these conductors with insulating line hoses or blankets to assure proper protection for anyone working nearby; proper grounding of aerial buckets; and raising the transformer during installation to the proper installation height and then guiding the transformer onto the installation bolts by a worker positioned on the pole.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Truck Driver and Company President Electrocuted After Crane Boom Contacts Powerline\u2013 West Virginia
No full textThis report concerns the death of a 20-year-old male truck driver and a 70-year-old company president who were electrocuted when the boom of a truck mounted crane contacted an overhead powerline. The employer was a concrete products company that had been in business for about 11 years, employing 14 workers, three of whom were truck drivers. The truck driver who died had been with the company for 8 months. The driver was attempting to unload concrete blocks at a residential construction site. The truck was parked at an angle on a steep slope. Two other men, one the president of the company, watched as the driver used a handheld remote-control unit. The tip of the crane boom contacted one of the conductors of the 7,200-volt overhead line, completing a path to ground through the truck, the remote-control unit and the driver. The driver fell backward in flames. The company president, running to help instantly, apparently came into contact with the truck as well and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver died from third degree electrical burns over 98% of his body. It is recommended that employers ensure that workers comply with standards for safe use of cranes near overhead powerlines, that alternative work procedures be evaluated to address site specific hazards, and that employers consider retrofitting cranes with electrically isolated control systems
Farmer Dies After Becoming Entangled In A Rotating Shaft Of A Beet Lifter
Get PDFA 20-year-old male farmer (victim) died after he became entangled in a rotating shaft of a beet lifter. On the day of the incident, the victim was harvesting beets in a farm field. The beet lifter was pulled by a farm tractor through the field to harvest beets. While harvesting beets a portion of the beet lifter known as the grab rollers became clogged with dirt. The victim stopped the tractor, disengaged the tractor's power-take-off and dismounted the tractor. Another worker who was in the field with a truck drove to the location to assist in cleaning the dirt from the lifter. They manually removed most of the dirt and then engaged the tractor's power-take-off. After engaging the power-take-off the victim dismounted the tractor while the lifter was operating. He walked to a location along one side of the machine and leaned over a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft had originally been covered by a shield however the shield was not in place at the time of the incident. While the victim leaned over the rotating shaft, his jacket was caught by it and became entangled in the shaft. The coworker climbed onto the tractor and disengaged the tractor's power-take-off. He checked the victim who was unresponsive and then used a two-way radio to notify family members of the incident. They placed a call to emergency personnel before proceeding to the field. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene shortly after being notified and pronounced the victim dead prior to freeing him. MN FACE investigators concluded that, in order to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences, the following guidelines should be followed: 1. operators should disengage the power-take-off before dismounting from a tractor; 2. all equipment shields and guards should be kept in good condition and in place; and 3. operators should not wear loose-fitting clothing near operating machines.Cooperative Agreemen
Tower Painter Dies and a Second Painter Injured After Falling 900 Feet While inside a Man Basket-South Carolina
Get PDFOn June 23, 1998, a male 29-year-old tower painter (the victim) died, and his 16-year-old male co-worker was seriously injured when, due to winch failure, they slid 900 feet down a guy wire anchor. The workers were painting the sixth highest of nine guy wires on one side of a 2,000-foot television broadcast tower. The victim and co-worker entered the man basket at the guy wire ground anchor, 1/4 mile from the tower, and were raised to the sixth guy wire. The owner was operating the winch 1/4 mile away from the opposite side of the tower. As the workers were preparing to paint, the basket suddenly jerked then began to slide backward down the guy wire. As the basket began to accelerate, the victim radioed the owner to stop the basket. The owner pulled as hard as he could on the handbrake lever. Then that failed to slow the winch's cable spool, the owner tried to jam a wooden handle into the winch's gearbox. This action caused the components inside the gearbox to shatter as the man basket continued to slide down on the basket's floor, then the victim lay down on top of the co-worker. The basket fell until it struck the base of the guy wire anchor. The victim was thrown from the basket and wedged between two hairpins anchoring the guy wire. The injured co-worker unhooked his lanyard and crawled from a basket. When the basket disappeared from view behind the trees, the groundsman got into his truck and drove to the guy wire anchor point. He placed the injured co-worker in the truck and drove him back to the tower. The owner summoned the emergency medical service (EMS) from a cellular phone, then stayed with the injured co-worker while the groundsman returned to the victim. When the EMS arrived, they removed the victim form between the hairpins and summoned the county coroner, who pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The co-worker was transported to the local hospital where he was treated
Two Farm Laborers Die in Oxygen-Deficient Manure Pit
No full textA 31 year old male dairy farm laborer entered a manure pit to clear a pipe, lost consciousness, and collapsed at the bottom. In a rescue attempt, his 33 year old brother, also a farm laborer, entered the pit, lost consciousness, and collapsed. The employer was a family owned farm operated by the father and five sons. The farm consisted of a 60 cow dairy herd with 80 acres of wheat, corn, hay and pasture. The victims had worked the farm since they were 12 years of age and were now in charge of the dairy operation. Their hazard awareness was limited mainly to farm machine manufacturer information. The two victims went to the barn to milk the cows. It is suggested that the pit contained about 3 feet of waste. The victims turned on the waste pump, but it did not remove any of the waste. Realizing the suction line was blocked, they decided to enter the pit to clear it. The initial victim put on rubber chest waders and entered with a pipe wrench, disconnected the end pipe section and manually removed the blockage. Due to a lack of oxygen the first victim lost consciousness. His brother entered to pit in a rescue attempt, and collapsed on top of the initial victim. It was recommended that farm owners become familiar with the hazards of confined spaces and adopt safe procedures specific for each type of confined space, that manure pumping equipment should be constructed of materials that are corrosion resistant, and that farm owners and workers need task specific worker safety guides through improved dissemination efforts.Publication date provided by the authoring office. There is no publication date indicated on the resource
Farm Youth Suffocated in Corn Bin
Get PDFA 15-year-old male was killed while working on the family farm. He had crawled into a 20,000 bushel corn bin, through a door on the top. He had gone in to scoop corn away from the front lower door of the grain bin so a sweep auger could be installed. The bin had corn in it which sloped from the sides to the center take-out. The center take-out area was empty while the corn on the sides of the bin was approximately seven feet high. Coworkers thought the victim had exited the corn bin but hadn't seen or heard from him in about 30 minutes. He was found in the bin, in a sitting position, under approximately four feet of corn. Emergency personnel were called and coworkers performed CPR while waiting for them to arrive. Emergency personnel continued resuscitation efforts upon their arrival, but they were unsuccessful. The Nebraska Department of Labor Investigator concluded that to prevent future similar occurrences employers should: 1. identify grain storage bins as confined spaces and workers should follow confined space entry procedures when entering bins. 2. ensure personnel are wearing a safety harness and a lifeline attached to a fixed external anchor to keep them at a level at or above the level of stored grain products and that a coworker is stationed outside a bin whenever a worker enters a bin. 3. ensure all equipment which presents a danger to employees is locked-out, blocked-off, or otherwise prevented from operating. 4. ensure that visual and/or audible communications be maintained between a worker entering a bin and the observer stationed outside the bin. 5. provide and have in place equipment for rescue operations which is specifically suited for the task being conducted. 6. develop, implement and enforce a comprehensive safety program that includes, but is not limited to, training in all hazard identification, avoidance, and abatement.Cooperative Agreemen