UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At 10:45 a.m. on April 11, 2022, an employee was attempting to temporarily reat tach a hydraulic lifting arm of a front load refuse vehicle that had sheared off at mounting point while out on route earlier in the morning. The front load re fuse vehicle was returned to the company's maintenance shop lot, where mechanic s began to work on the vehicle. Employees utilized a powered industrial vehicle with a 6 foot long by 1 inch wide polyester strap to hoist and support the veh icle's hydraulic lifting arm. While the arm was suspended from the PIV's left f ork, a manager positioned in the refuse vehicle's cabin began to actuate the hyd raulic lifting arms back and forth in an attempt to maneuver arm into position. At this point, the strap that was supporting the lifting arm failed, causing the lifting arm to fall downward and strike the employee in the head. The employee was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The employee suffered blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in a fatality.