BEWARE OF CRUSH ZONES

Have you ever tried to take a short cut to get a job done faster? Most of the time short cuts do just that, SAVE TIME. However, have you ever thought about the danger you may be putting yourself into to save a few seconds or minutes? The case history presented below illustrates this point very well. In this case we will never know exactly what the worker was trying to do because he did not live to tell us. He was probably trying to retrieve something from the loader without interrupting the operator because the interruption would cost both of them extra time. This time it cost him his life.

The fatally injured employee was a highly experienced worker in the business of his company. He was working as a helper around a truck-mounted hydraulic loader. He had been with the company for ten years and performed his current assigned job for more than two years prior to the accident.

During transport of the crane from one job site to another, several items such as oil and fuel for gasoline powered tools were stored in a rack behind the cab, next to the swiveling crane counterweight. Usually, these items are removed before beginning operations at a new site. This crew had just relieved the early crew at 2:00 P.M. Apparently these items had not been removed to an accessible area by the previous crew. Shortly after beginning his shift, the employee apparently needed some of these items and had attempted to get the items without getting the operator's attention. The loader swung around while the helper was near the rack and the counterweight crushed his head and he died instantly.

Did this accident have to happen? Would you have done something different to prevent it from happening to you? Is saving a few seconds or minutes really worth risking your life? Even if the odds are very low? IT ONLY HAS TO HAPPEN ONE TIME!

By working safely, this accident could have been prevented. First, never approach an operating machine without first establishing eye contact with the operator. Make sure the operator understands what you are going to do and acknowledges your intended actions. Better yet, if you are going to put yourself in a risky situation, have the operator shut down the machine first. The fact that someone did not follow procedures and remove the items from the rack does not provide a valid reason to jeopardize yourself. NOTHING IS THAT IMPORTANT!!! Incidentally, the operator of the loader was so traumatized by the death of his friend that he has not been able to work since and there is no estimate of when he will be able to do so.

Work Hard - ActSafe®