Fatality Investigation Report: Asphalt Plant Supervisor Dies After Falling down a Drag Slat Conveyor

Details

• Personal Author:
  Clark R ; Glosson E ; Schoonover, Todd
• Description:
  On April 22, 2017, a 58-year-old supervisor/plant operator employed by a hot mix asphalt manufacturer died after he slid down the cover of an inclined asphalt storage silo conveyor and then fell down a stairway, landing 67 feet below on concrete. The supervisor and a coworker were setting up to do maintenance at one of their employer's asphalt production plants. They planned to replace two chain head sprockets located at the top of the conveyor that brings asphalt to two storage silos. In order to replace the sprockets, they first had to chip-off the asphalt that had built-up around the sprockets. Their work area was located above the silos on a 50-degree inclined conveyor 67 feet above the ground. The sprockets were beneath a hinged lid on the cover of the conveyor box. The workers used an aerial lift to ascend to the work area where they set up their equipment on a work platform adjacent to the conveyor box lid. The platform did not extend over the conveyor. The coworker opened the lid and then went down to a lower platform to hand up equipment to the supervisor. The supervisor then took off his personal fall protection even though the employer required it for the task. He then climbed over the platform railing onto the inclined conveyor cover. Presumably, he supported himself using the hinges of the lid cover or conveyor slats as foot holds while he prepared to chip-off the asphalt with a pneumatic chisel. An employee working in another part of the plant saw the supervisor sliding down the conveyor. The supervisor's coworker and the employee who saw him fall rushed to the scene and found him unconscious. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he died four days later. RECOMMENDATIONS: Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation investigators concluded that to protect employees from similar hazards employers should: Provide a way for workers to safely inspect and maintain conveyors. Apply principles of Prevention through Design (PtD) to existing and new facilities, structures, equipment, and procedures to identify and eliminate safety hazards to workers. Provide fall protection and ensure that workers use it when necessary. Perform a job hazard analysis (JHA) of conveyor and similar maintenance tasks. Evaluate the safety management and safety culture within their organization and make a commitment to injury prevention. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Environmental Exposure Hydrocarbons Occupational Health Preventive Medicine Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Staff Development Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Asphalt Industry Exposure Levels Fall Protection Falls Harnesses Hazards Prevention Through Design Preventive Measures Preventive MeasuresTraining Protective Measures PTD Risk Factors Safety Education Safety Measures Safety Practices Training Work Environment Workers Worker Safety

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• 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:
  1-19
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061657
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 52-46-2020, 2020 Dec; :1-19
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  324121 - Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing - (NAICS) ; 237310 - Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Fatality investigation report: asphalt plant supervisor dies after falling down a drag slat conveyor
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d53bb02d0d404fd94c938d47ec2efa226b4496245de9a4f1ea8a1458e2e57bf29d5ea11779ef873178c5a52fd83679349beee88b56cd6443a8cd942821ef50d5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229089/cdc_229089_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.95 MB ]