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Log Truck Driver Dies When Struck by Logs Being Loaded Onto Trailer
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2015/05/15
[PDF-1.38 MB]
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Description:In September 2011, a 55-year-old log truck driver was fatally injured when he was struck and crushed by logs being loaded by a grapple loader onto the trailer of his truck. The victim worked for a trucking company that had been contracted to haul logs by the company logging the site where the incident occurred. The loader operator worked for the logging company. Both were experienced in their fields, but had not worked together before beginning work at this site approximately one week prior to the incident. All of the loads previously hauled from the site had been long logs. The logs to be loaded the morning of the incident were short logs. The previous night, the victim and his employer had extended the truck's trailer and installed a rack with an extra set of bunks, also called a "turkey rack," in order to haul the short logs. Bunks are lateral fixtures secured to a trailer that have vertical stakes at either end, and are used in pairs to contain logs during transport. The height of the bunk stakes on the victim's trailer could be increased using metal extensions that must be manually lifted and secured into place. That night, the victim had left the bunk stake extensions lowered. The morning of the incident, the loader operator arrived first to the jobsite, at approximately 5:00 a.m., and started to warm up the loader. It was still before dawn and darkness would have limited visibility. The victim arrived a short time later. While communicating by radio with the operator, the victim situated the trailer next to the loader, with the loader positioned on the passenger side of the truck near the rear of the trailer. The victim remained in the cab of the truck as the loader operator placed the first load of logs in the front set of bunks. The operator then turned the boom arm away from the truck and positioned the grapple to pick up another load of logs to place in the second set of bunks. As the loader operator swung the second load toward the rear bunks, he caught a glimpse of the victim's orange high-visibility safety vest and realized that the victim was standing on the back of the trailer. The operator immediately reversed the direction of the load when he saw the victim, and two logs fell from the grapple. The loader operator stopped the equipment and went to the victim, who had been struck by the logs, and found him lying unconscious over the rear crossbar of the trailer. The loader operator could not lift the victim off of the trailer to begin CPR. He called 911 and tried to maintain the victim's airway until emergency responders arrived. The victim had sustained crushing injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency responders reported that the victim was wearing a long sleeved shirt over his safety vest. It is unknown why the victim left the cab, but investigators believe that he climbed onto the trailer to put up the stake extensions on the bunks that he had left lowered the night before. RECOMMENDATIONS: To prevent similar incidents, Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) recommends that: Communication Practices - 1. Employers should train log truck drivers to always establish and confirm visual or radio communication with the loader operator before leaving the cab of the truck during loading procedures. 2. Employers should train loader operators to verify by sight or radio contact that the driver is in the clear before loading. 3. Employers should ensure that when employees are working with a new company or crew member, or when conditions or procedures change, the intended loading process is reviewed before loading begins. Personal Protective Equipment - 1. Employers should provide log truck drivers with appropriate high-visibility safety vests and train them to ensure that they are worn in an effective manner.
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Pages in Document:1-13
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NIOSHTIC Number:20046646
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NTIS Accession Number:PB2015-105665
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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 11WA03301, 2015 May; :1-13
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Federal Fiscal Year:2015
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Performing Organization:Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
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Peer Reviewed:False
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Start Date:2005/07/01
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End Date:2021/06/30
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Resource Number:FACE-11WA03301
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