High-Pressure Blowout
The victim chocked the dump truck’s tires but did not inspect the tire for defects and began to inflate, standing directly in front of it. As the pressure increased, the sidewall failed…
Gasoline Bomb
Fire is bad enough, but when you run away holding the fuel for the fire, it can only lead to bad consequences.
An automotive mechanic had spent much of a day removing and old fuel tank and installing a new one in a truck…
Impaled on rebar
It was a high-rise job, using a skid steer loader to remove demolition debris on the 21st floor of a building. Above a worker, remote-controlled demolition machines punched holes through the floors to start the demolition process.
The worker was 41 years old and a 14-year veteran of the local Laborers International Union. He had been employed by the contractor for two months during the demolition of a 26-story apartment building.
Heat kills
By lunchtime the temperature had climbed to 97 degrees Fahrenheit, with a humidity reading of 74 percent.
Tandem lift tragedy
Two excavator operators were using a tandem lift procedure to carry a 128-foot section of 16-inch gas pipeline from a staging area to the installation area at the bottom of a hill. The pipe was secured by two slings about 20 feet from each end of the pipe.
All excavator operators had completed the appropriate training and were considered experts on excavating operations. Although the victim was new to the company, he had 20 years of work experience operating heavy equipment, including excavators, and had been a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers.But according to OSHA, the employer had not established procedures for using two excavators during a lifting operation…
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Dragged to his death: How to prevent chipper accidents
Although there were no eyewitnesses to the accident, it is likely that the victim’s shirt or glove snagged on a branch and he either slipped or stumbled trying to get free and was unable to pull the feed-control bar into the neutral position.
Warming fire turns deadly on Oregon jobsite
On a cold, rainy, winter morning in the woods of Oregon a worker for a logging and construction firm began started a warming fire using a mixture of diesel fuel and chainsaw gasoline. The worker walked away from the fire for about 15 minutes to make a cell phone call.
Accident investigators believe a mechanic, in an attempt to boost the fire in the coworker’s absence, poured straight gasoline from a 5-gallon container onto the smoldering fire, engulfing him in flames.
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Deadly driveshaft
Power take-off devices on trucks do a great many things, but like any rotating mechanical device, they need to be respected.
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Heat Kills
Unlike cuts and blunt force injuries, heat stress, including cramps, heat stroke and heat exhaustion, can be hard to detect.
Downhill disaster
After refueling his wheel loader at the top of a hill, an operator began a steep ride down to where the work was taking place. As the wheel loader pickup up speed, the operator hit the brake pedals, but the brakes failed to engage. The loader hit a bump on the descent and began bucking violently back and forth. Other workers at the site reported seeing the operator bouncing inside the cab.
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Why you do a daily, visual walk around… with a checklist
The accident: AÂ veteran heavy equipment operator climbed aboard his dozer and began pushing shale rock into stockpiles. The owner of the equipment was also working nearby, picking up the shale with a wheel loader and placing it in dump trucks for removal. Although functional, the dozer was almost 40 years old.
After lunch, the dozer operator resumed work, but unable to loosen any shale from an embankment, he put the dozer into reverse. After backing up approximately 6 feet, a hydraulic line on the left side of the dozer burst, spraying hot hydraulic uid across the exhaust manifold.
Moments later, flames engulfed the operator.
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Unsafe surroundings: Unrecognized hazards could cause trouble for you – or for someone else
The accident: Two workers, a laborer and an equipment operator, were preparing an area for a new concrete slab adjacent to a building. The laborer was on foot, assisting the skid steer operator by direct- ing him into position in front of the building. The laborer signaled for the skid steer operator to stop the machine at the edge of the exca- vation and dump a load of gravel and sand. The skid steer rolled forward into the depression and tipped forward, pinning the laborer against the building by the bucket. Emergency medical services were called and transported him to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Don’t get burned: Take extra precautions when handling hot asphalt
The accident: A dump truck driver stopped to assist another driver, who was having brake problems. As the first driver examined the disabled truck from underneath, the tailgate opened unexpectedly, covering the driver in 400-degree asphalt.
Worth 1,000 words: Acquaint yourself with common safety decals
It has been said a picture is worth a thousand words, but safety decals on construction equipment are worth more than that – they could save your life. Crucial to preventing injury or even death, these often overlooked cautionary reminders take little time and effort to notice and heed. The following safety pictorials are provided by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
Just 14 ounces: That’s how much the average safety hard hat weighs
The near accident: A New York State Department of Transportation worker started sand blasting a bridge in preparation for painting. Although it’s a departmental rule that hard hats must be worn, the job circumstances seemed safe. He wasn’t under traffic, nor was he under an overhead hazard. But several feet away from the worker, a steel hatch suddenly blew off the top of the pressure blasting equipment. The 100-pound hatch flew through the air and struck the worker square on the top of his head.
Handling heat: Beat dehydration by drinking water and knowing when to take a break
The incident: A 25-year-old worker, who had fared well during a week working in 90- to 95-degree temperatures, became sick with a virus over the weekend. The following Monday, however, he felt good enough to work.
Handle with caution: Asphalt paving is a carefully choreographed operation where attention to detail is critical
The accident: A member of a paving crew was making adjustments to the hopper of an asphalt paver when a dump truck backed up to the hopper.
You can’t run fast enough: Pay attention to jobsite flammable, combustible fluid handling
The demonstration: Testers ignited one gallon of gasoline inside a car truck. The resulting explosion blasted the trunk lid 80 feet in the air, making it apparent that anyone in the car would have been killed.
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