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Tow Truck Operator Fatally Injured When Struck by a Box Truck While Assisting a Motorist – Massachusetts
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2017/01/04
[PDF-422.15 KB]
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Description:On February 11, 2015 a 22-year-old male tow truck operator (victim) employed by a motor vehicle service center was fatally injured while assisting a motorist with a flat tire on a highway. The victim positioned his flatbed tow truck on the highway shoulder in front of the car. While standing near the tow truck's driver side controls, the victim was struck by a passing box truck. A call was immediately place for emergency medical services (EMS). EMS and state police arrived within minutes. The victim was pronounced dead at the incident location. Contributing factors identified in this investigation were the narrow highway shoulder, the consequent need to work on the side of the tow truck closest to passing traffic, the motorist stopping on the narrow shoulder and not continuing to drive to a safer location to stop, and the box truck driver not moving over one lane or slowing down while passing a stopped recovery vehicle with lights flashing as required by Massachusetts state law. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers should: 1. Consider the option of wireless controls for tow truck beds and winches; 2. Ensure that employees use portable emergency warning devices to help alert approaching motorists of the stopped emergency vehicles ahead; and 3. Provide Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training to all tow operators. Motorist experiencing vehicle problems while driving should: 1. Continue driving, if it is safe to do so, until a location is reached where the vehicle can be moved completely off of the roadway and away from traffic. Drivers of larger vehicles should: 2. Consider taking additional measures to warn motorists behind them of the situation ahead when adhering to Move Over laws.
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Pages in Document:1-10
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NIOSHTIC Number:20050326
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NTIS Accession Number:PB2018-100076
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Citation:Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 15MA007, 2017 Jan; :1-10
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Federal Fiscal Year:2017
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Performing Organization:Massachusetts State Department of Public Health
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Peer Reviewed:False
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Start Date:2005/07/01
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End Date:2026/06/30
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Resource Number:FACE-15MA007
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