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 operationā€¦

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One lived, one died

The two men looked as though they were suited up, but they werenā€™t.

As they climbed into the platform both a foreman and a laborer wore regulation full body harnesses and lanyards. But the supervisor neglected to clip his lanyard to the manufacturer-provided and -approved attachment point. The laborer tied off to the railing around the handrail at the perimeter of the basket, but not to an approved attachment pointā€¦

Ā 

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An easy lift, a deadly fall

In preparation for lifting an HVAC unit to the top of a school building, the victim and an assistant attempted to put the telescoping boom of a crane into the hoisting mode. When the boom failed to move, the victim called the office for. The company notified an electrician and told the victim and helper to wait.

The helper dismounted andĀ was walking away from the crane when he heard the victim shout. While attempting to climb down from the deck of the crane, the victim apparently stumbled and fell 5 feet, head first, to the pavement.

Ā 

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Small trench, big disaster

On the day of the incident, a 36-year-old pipelayer and another worker for a water, sewer and drainage installation and repair business entered the trench to remove old pipes and install new ones. The trench had no protective system, although there was a hydraulic shoring cylinder near the bottom on one side.

The job was almost done when the victim entered the trench to nish connecting the pipes. The trench collapsed, burying him.

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Alone, stonedā€¦and dead

A surveyor who had worked forĀ the company for fiveĀ months and operated on ATVs much of that time went missing on a day few employees were at work.Ā After 45 minutes his supervisor attempted to contact him by radio but got no response. After 30 more minutes the super started a search and headed in the same direction with crew members.

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High wire hazard

The boom of the excavator was so high it snagged a four-wire utility line carrying power, cable TV, telephone and a neutral wire.Ā The tension on the wires caused by the moving excavator broke the utility pole 70 feet away, bringing all the wires crashing down.

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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 victimā€™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.

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Warming fire turns deadly on Oregon jobsite

On a cold, rainy, winter morning in the woods of Oregon aĀ worker for a logging and construction firm began startedĀ a warming fire using a mixture of diesel fuel and chainsaw gasoline. The workerĀ walked away from the fireĀ for about 15 minutes to make a cell phone call.

Accident investigators believe aĀ mechanic, in an attempt to boost the fire in the coworkerā€™s absence, poured straight gasoline from a 5-gallon container onto the smoldering fire, engulfing him in flames.

Ā 

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Dangerous chaos after a trench collapse

A 17-year-old male laborerĀ was killed and his coworkerĀ injured in a trench collapse during a job to replace a broken sewer line.

The day before the accident a trench box had been used to shore up the walls of the trench, but it had been removed at the end of the day and not put back in place. The two workers entered the unprotected trench the following day to check the depth with a grade pole and replace two sections of pipe.

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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.

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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.

Ā 

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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.

Ā 

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One jump, one slip and a worker goes under a paving machine

Paving machines move so slowly, you wouldnā€™t think you could get run over by one. But, youā€™d be wrong. Hereā€™s what happened whenĀ a new crew member made the fatal decision to hitch a ride when a paver was backing up.

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Why you do a daily, visual walk aroundā€¦ with a checklist

The accident: AĀ 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.

Ā 

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Cold weather calamity: Attempt to clear ice from foot controls leads to operatorā€™s death

The accident:Ā 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 werenā€™t operating properly.

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Trench Collapse: Homeowner changes mind, boss leaves to do errands, crew makes fatal mistake

December 30: a time when the days are short, the weather is less than ideal and everyoneā€™s in a hurry to finish work and go home for the holidays. Except, one construction worker never made it home.

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Unsafe surroundings: Unrecognized hazards could cause trouble for you ā€“ 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.

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Safety Watch 63