Fatality Narrative: Skid-Steer Loader Operator Crushed Between Backhoe Attachment and Cab

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  On March 1, 2010, a journeyman equipment operator was crushed between the backhoe attachment and the cab of a skid-steer loader. The 47-year-old operator was hired from the local IUOE hall by an electrical contractor to perform work at a power company's substation. He had worked for this employer on and off for several years; this was his first day at this jobsite. The victim and an employee of the contractor were loading equipment and tools to move to another job site. The victim's task was to load a skid-steer loader with a backhoe attachment on to an equipment trailer for transport. As the victim moved the loader toward the trailer ramps, the backhoe attachment dragged on the ramps, preventing it from being loaded. He got down from the machine and connected the backhoe's hydraulic hoses and then got back into the cab. He may have intended to use the bucket of the backhoe attachment to lift the loader's front end to prevent the attachment from dragging while moving up the ramp. The victim was seated in the cab with the safety restraint bar in the down position (it must be down to operate the machine). He then stood, perhaps for a better view, and reached for the backhoe attachment operator's seat in front of him. At the same time his hand hit a button which engaged the bucket and his left foot became stuck on the control that activated the backhoe attachment. The bucket then moved toward him, pinning him between the exterior seat and the cab frame. The victim was taken to a hospital where he died of blunt force trauma to the chest. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Education Mortality Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Workplace
• Keywords:
  Equipment Operation Equipment Operators Equipment Reliability Fatalities Hazards Injuries Safety Measures Safety Practices Skid-steer Loaders 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:20051591
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-106-2011, 2012 Feb; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Fatality narrative: skid-steer loader operator crushed between backhoe attachment and cab
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d108eda7aad09c980dbe2d14467cdb421d9d9a458275641b81bb02dd8e479b26aa1ff9cb5fdeb2a4b3a37a6d5a6df70450b867ab0be1630869b35e5619fb2b1b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228767/cdc_228767_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 190.41 KB ]