On May 27, 2001, a 67-year-old male farmer died from injuries sustained when he was crushed between the lift arm and the window frame of a skid-steer loader. The skid-steer loader was being used to pick up the manure cleaned from stalls. The witness to this incident worked inside the building scraping manure from stalls to a bay door. The victim had been clearing the piles of manure away from the bay door and loading the manure into a stake truck for about an hour. The truck was located on a concrete pad near the barn. The side safety screens on the skid-steer loader had been damaged during a fire and had not been replaced. Three tires on the loader were conventional truck tires

a skid-steer tire was located on the right rear of the loader. Foot pedals controlling the operation of the loader arms and bucket were located on the floor near the front frame of the loader. The left foot pedal raised and lowered the skid-steer loader arms, and the right foot pedal-controlled bucket tilt. While the victim was loading the manure, the left rear truck tire failed. The victim leaned his head outside of the operator's compartment through the unguarded window opening to look at the flat tire. The bucket was in the raised position. While he was leaning outside of the cab, he apparently activated the left foot pedal, causing the bucket to lower quickly crushing his head between the frame and the lift arm. The witness ran for assistance, called 911 and returned to the site to wait for emergency personnel. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Recommendations: 1. Skid steer loader owners should ensure that safety devices and physical safeguards on equipment are in place and operating. 2. Equipment owners should implement inspection programs to ensure that equipment is maintained free of defects that affect safe operation prior to use and during routine operation. 3. Equipment owners should ensure that all relevant manuals, such as an owner's and/or operator's manual are available on the loader in a weather-proof container or a secured plastic bag for the operator to consult for safe operating procedures, and service/maintenance of the loader.