ACCIDENT SUMMARY No. 18
| Accident Type: |
Caught by Rotating Part |
 |
| Weather Conditions: |
Clear |
| Type of Operation: |
Telephone Line Installation |
| Size of Work Crew: |
3 |
| Collective Bargaining |
No |
| Competent Safety Monitor on Site: |
Yes - Victim |
| Safety and Health Program in Effect: |
Yes |
| Was the Worksite Inspected Regularly: |
Yes |
| Training and Education Provided: |
No |
| Employee Job Title: |
Boring Machine Operator |
| Age & Sex: |
56-Male |
| Experience at this Type of Work: |
10 Years |
| Time on Project: |
5 Days |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
A three-man crew was installing an underground telephone cable in a residential area. They had just completed a bore hole under a driveway using a horizontal boring machine. The bore hole rod had been removed from the hole. While the rod was still rotating, the operator straddled it and stooped over to pick it up. His trouser leg became entangled in the rotating rod and he was flipped over. He struck tools and materials, sustaining fatal injuries.
INSPECTION RESULTS
Following its inspection, OSHA issued one citation for one alleged serious violation of its construction standards. Had the equipment been properly guarded, this fatality might have been prevented.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS
- Employees must be instructed to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions associated with their work (29.CFR 1926.21(b)(2)).
- Guards must be installed on moving parts of equipment with which employees may come into contact (29 CFR 1926.300(b)(2)).
SOURCES OF HELP
- Construction Safety and Health Standards (OSHA 2207) which maintains all OSHA job safety and health rules and regulations (1926 and 1910) coveting construction.
- OSHA-funded free consultation services. Consult your telephone directory for the number of your local OSHA area or regional office for further assistance and advice (listed under U.S. Labor Department or under the state government section where states administer their own OSHA programs).
NOTE: The case here described was selected as being representative of fatalities caused by improper work practices. No special emphasis or priority is implied nor is the case necessarily a recent occurrence. The legal aspects of the incident have been resolved, and the case is now closed.
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