Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/946503
EquipmentWorld.com | February 2018 55 Shortcuts shorten lives safety watch | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com E xperience can be a great teacher. It can also lead to a careless attitude when operators think they're so good they can ig- nore the rules and take shortcuts. At 68 years old, the victim knew his way around a construction site. He had been oper- ating a dozer that morn- ing. As dump trucks came and went deposit- ing fill dirt on the site, he'd push the mounds back and forth to raise and level the site. About 7:40 a.m., he exited the dozer on its right side to tell a dump truck driver where to deposit his dirt. He left the dozer running in neutral and did not set the parking brake. After talking with the dump truck driver, he walked around the dozer and climbed on the tracks on the left side to get back in the cab. But as he was standing on top of the tracks, his elbow hit the transmission lever, shifting the ma- chine from neutral into reverse. When the dozer lurched back- ward, the victim lost his balance and fell on the track. His left foot became caught between the track and underside of the fender of the dozer. As the dozer contin- ued backward, his leg was pulled through and crushed until he was ejected onto the ground. The dump truck driver called emergency medical personnel from his radio and rushed to aid the vic- tim. EMS arrived just minutes later and took the victim to the hospital where he died 15 days later from his injuries. The company in question had a written health and safety pro- gram but no specific instructions on safe equipment operation. It did conduct training on machine operation and was known for hir- ing only experienced crews. Safety consultants were used on an occa- sional basis, and the company had a safety officer and held weekly safety meetings. Given the company's safety processes, one can assume the accident was caused partly by the dozer operator's negligence. Perhaps he had become so familiar with its operation, so confident of his skills, that he felt he could take shortcuts. How this accident could have been prevented: • Before exiting a dozer or any construction machine, opera- tors should put the machine in neutral, set the parking brake and follow all additional manu- facturer's recommended proce- dures for lock-out/tag-out and safe egress. • Employers should develop, implement and enforce a writ- ten safety program that includes procedures for entering, exiting and securing dozers and other mobile equipment against unin- tended movement. • Employers should advise opera- tors against exiting machines with the engines in idle. For most modern equipment, idling for long periods harms the engine exhaust aftertreatment, wastes fuel and creates potential hazards. For more information see: http:// www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/ FACE/Files/BulldozerOperator- CaughtInTrack.pdf Date of safety talk: Leader: _____________________ Attending: Illustration by Don Lomax