Skid-Steer Loader-Related Fatalities in the Workplace – United States, 1992–1995

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Boyle, D. J. ; Hetzler, William E. ; Hirsh, Gary L. ; Johnson, W. ; Merchant, James A. ; Murray, J. S. ; Parker, David L. ; Rautiainen, Risto ; Rolf, J. W. ; Wahl, G. L.
• Description:
  A report by the NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program on skid/steer loader fatalities from 1980 to 1995 and preventative recommendations were presented. Investigations of four fatalities directly related to skid/steer loaders found in each instance safety precautions had been bypassed or ignored. Operation of the loader without the rollover protective structure and side screens, improper dismounting, use of control levers as grab handles, deactivation of the safety belt interlock control system or failure to use lift arm support devices resulted in fatalities from head or chest crush injuries when operators or mechanics were trapped between the loader frame and lift arms or under the descending bucket. Eight states reported a total of 22 fatalities to FACE from 1992 to 1995. All fatalities involved males in the agricultural, construction, services, retail and wholesale trade, and manufacturing industries. Workers were classified as farmers, laborers, business owners, machine operators, landscapers, and carpenters. The NIOSH National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system identified 40 fatalities directly involving skid/steer loaders and 65 additional cases which did not specify type of loader occurring from 1980 to 1992. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries identified 20 such fatalities during 1992 to 1994. An editorial note commented on the adequacy of existing safety features of skid/steer loaders and the failure of operators to follow proper procedures. The likelihood of underreporting of skid/steer loader fatalities was discussed. Several recommendations were made concerning operator and service personnel adherence to manufacturer safety guidelines. The editors conclude that fatalities would be reduced by use of existing safety features and guidelines. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Construction Industry Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Safety Management
• Keywords:
  Agricultural-machinery Agricultural-workers Construction-equipment Construction-workers Equipment-design Equipment-operators Industrial-equipment Machine-operators Materials-handling-equipment NIOSH-Author Protective-measures Retail-workers Safety-measures

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• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  6 pdf pages
• Volume:
  45
• Issue:
  29
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00233091
• Citation:
  MMWR 1996 Jul; 45(29):624-628
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d77b92a5713613016db6de9acb2e887dc65e27b97da9c2c8d2bfa64806689ab3aeb59db2a30a9352030a6fc8d4e4937f21967122604db380fe6ff1c527b2c7b2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183299/cdc_183299_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 117.75 KB ]