Between a bucket and a hard place
The operator overcompensated by pushing the controls to the left, which unfortunately caused the bucket to slam the victim and the woman against the side of the air compressor…
Worker injured by demolition robot
As he was moving the cable, he accidentally bumped the control panel against the machine. Since he had not put the machine into the emergency stop mode, it moved, pinning him bewteen the outrigger and a nearby wall…
One lock, not enough
Investigators believe the victim raised the dump bed on the artic to access a grease zerk that was covered by the body of the bed when it was in the down position. During this procedure, the dump body should have been locked in the raised position…
Brake Fail
The dozer rolled backward trapping the semi-truck driver between the truck’s front bumper and the rear of the dozer.
Attempt to disassemble crane boom proves fatal
Most safety precautions regarding cranes pertain to when the machine is in operation. But, the process of assembling or dismantling a crane can be fraught with danger.
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Cold weather calamity: Attempt to clear ice from foot controls leads to operator’s death
The accident: On a cold January night in Michigan, the operator of a skid steer was getting ready to plow snow after a recent storm, when he noticed the foot controls weren’t operating properly.
Paving pitfalls: Workers should be on guard around moving machines
The accident: A skid-steer operator working on a paving project backed into a worker shoveling asphalt, pinning him between the skid steer and a paver, and crushing his legs between the pieces of equipment.
PPE problems: When used incorrectly personal protective equipment can create a hazard
The accident: A backhoe operator jumped off his machine to assist another crewmember. The strap of his fall protection harness became entangled on the control levels, moving the loader bucket. The bucket crushed another worker between the bucket and a concrete building.
Spotting safety problems: Always know what’s around you
The accident: A dump truck backed onto a site behind a skid steer. The skid steer operator failed to see a worker approaching the dump truck on foot, and backed into him, pinning him against the tailgate.
Major miscalculations: When felling trees with an excavator, know when and where to dig
The accident: A worker using a hydraulic excavator to remove trees used a bucket to dig away from the base and then push the trunk over. A tree fell onto the excavator’s cab, pinning him inside.
Not so fast: Before you attach a bucket, take a closer look at your quick coupler
The accident: During a water main installation, a crew member entered a newly dug lateral excavation, preparing to install pipe. Using a quick coupler, an excavator operator changed buckets and swung the machine over to the trench to continue digging on the main line. The bucket detached and fell into the excavation, killing the man in the trench.
A safe exit: Make sure you’ve locked out controls before leaving a cab for any reason
The accident: A man stopped to clear debris from a dozer, getting out of the cab. When the dozer started to move, he tried getting back behind the controls, but slipped off the machine and was crushed beneath it.
Danger zone: Stand clear of an excavator’s swing pivot area
The accident: A contractor was removing tree stumps on a road project and processing the stumps and other wood debris in a tub grinder. An excavator loaded the grinder, operated remotely by a worker on the ground.
Know your limits: Don’t work on equipment unless you have the proper training
The accident: An employee was repairing a 60-foot telescopic boom lift that had a malfunctioning counterbalance valve. He loosened the valve from underneath the rear of the lift and then climbed onto the lift’s base to access the valve from the front of the lift, positioning him directly under the boom.
Backhoe woes: Make sure your machine is blocked or chocked before leaving it on a slope
The accident: A backhoe operator was working on covering a pipe in a drainage ditch next to a retaining wall. He parked the machine on a slope and exited the backhoe while leaving the bucket, which was full of rocks and gravel, elevated.
Don’t get pinned: Safe operation starts with the basics
The accident: The contractor instructed an excavator operator to move dirt, clear debris and fill a trench, and then left the jobsite. Upon his return, he saw the excavator – which was an older model that had been purchased used – positioned over the trench, with the operator pinned to a tree and crushed by the machine.
Off, not idling: If you leave a backhoe for any reason, make sure the machine is completely turned off
The accident: A two-man crew was using a backhoe loader and hand shovel to clear earth from a home’s foundation footing. The backhoe operator dug a 2-foot-wide by 2-foot-deep excavation around the footing while the second worker removed extra dirt with the shovel after the backhoe passed through…
In a tight spot: A backhoe’s swing radius is a dangerous spot to be in
The accident: A contractor was operating a backhoe close to a concrete wall. Another worker approached the backhoe on the operator’s blind side and walked between the wall and the swinging structure of the backhoe….
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