Fatality Narrative: Orchard Tractor Operator Run Over by Mower Attachment

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  On April 29, 2013, a 25-year-old orchard laborer operating a tractor died when he fell from the tractor and was run over by a mower attachment. The victim was operating a narrow-width, low-profile tractor with an attached mower mowing grass between rows of pear trees. There were no witnesses, but based on evidence at the scene, investigators determined the probable sequence of events. As the victim was mowing, his head struck against a branch, causing his hat to fall to the ground. With the intention of retrieving his hat, he stopped the tractor. He placed the power take off (PTO) in neutral, which cut power to the mower blades. As he was preparing to get off the tractor, he failed to put the transmission lever in neutral. When he lifted his left foot off the clutch, the tractor lurched forward, causing him to fall off the tractor and onto the ground. The tractor, which was running and in gear, continued to move forward and the victim was run over by the 1740 lb. mower. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Agriculture Automobiles Education Mortality Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Workplace
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Agricultural Machinery Agricultural Safety Agricultural Workers Equipment Operation Equipment Operators Fall Protection Falls Fatalities Hazards Injuries Motor Vehicles Safety Measures Safety Practices Tractors Training Traumatic Injuries Work Environment Workers Worker Safety

  More +
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051489
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-130-2014, 2014 Apr; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Fatality narrative: orchard tractor operator run over by mower attachment
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:050e9f7649e6fc453e40eb3bbf341aa386fab9e8294e6957f76a1983b17931d5abd34afcc8f764530a09a2d666abceb9ca0839c57ef982e412730c9f0b7278d6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228743/cdc_228743_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 541.75 KB ]