UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At 11:30 a.m. on January 15, 2022, an employee was working as a ground employee with a coworker cleaning manure from the animal pens in a stern barn. The cowor ker was operating a Gehl Skidsteer with a bucket attachment pushing manure from east to west in the pens and then into the barn alley connected to the manure la goon. The employee was opening and closing the gates to move animals out of the pens to clear the area for the skid steer to make passes unhindered. The employe e had closed the gate separating pens 4 and 5 as the coworker was backing the sk idsteer into pen 4 for another pass. The employee and coworker did not communica te with each other regarding closing the pen gate prior to the incident. The ski dsteer struck the gate as it was reversing causing the to swing toward the emplo yee and strike him in the head. The employee incurred multiple injuries to the h ead and skull as a result including a left skull fracture, left subdural hemorrh age, left orbital floor fracture and left globe rupture and required hospitaliza tion.