Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 1004423 - Employees Are Injured When Fallen Tree Snaps, Freeing Cable

Accident Summary Nr: 1004423 -- Report ID: 0253620 -- Event Date: 10/16/2003
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
124579319	10/24/2003	1611	237310	Otsego Co Highway Dept Work Zone

Abstract: A county highway department tree crew was removing a tree along a roadway. The tree had fallen the previous evening. When the tree fell, it had pulled down communication cable and strand, leaving a cable stretched about 0.6 meters above the ground. The crew supervisor had two employees wrap a log chain around the cable to hold it down while he cut the tree. Those two employees were holding the chain and the communication cable when the tree snapped, freeing the cable and sending the employees flying into the air. Employee #1 sustained bruises, contusions, and abrasions to his head, and Employee #2 fractured one hip or both hips. Both employees were hospitalized.

Keywords: FRACTURE, COMMUNICATION CABLE, UNSECURED, TREE, ABRASION, RESTRAINING DEVICE, HIP, TENSION RELEASE, TREE TRIMMING, CONTUSION

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Highway, road, street		Maintenance or repair		Under $50,000

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	124579319			Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Landscaping Fatality Cause: Other
2	124579319			Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Landscaping Fatality Cause: Other

Thank You for Visiting Our Website

You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server.

The Department of Labor does not endorse, takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over the linked organization or its views, or contents, nor does it vouch for the accuracy or accessibility of the information contained on the destination server. The Department of Labor also cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked Web site. Thank you for visiting our site. Please click the button below to continue.