Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200801967 - Employee Is Crushed and Killed When Backhoe Overturns

Accident Summary Nr: 200801967 -- Report ID: 0523300 -- Event Date: 02/16/2008
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
310765243	02/19/2008	1794	238910	Welded Construction L.P.

Abstract: At approximately 1:30 a.m. on February 16, 2008, Employee #1 was operating a backhoe near a section of an oil pipeline that was being installed from northern Wisconsin to Indiana. Once fully installed, the pipeline would span over 300 miles of pipe. Employee #1 was assigned to move river weights from one section of pipeline to another. The river weights were being used to hold down pipes in marshy areas and weighed about 12,000 pounds each. During the relocation of river weights, Employee #1 had a coworker to assist by rigging each weight to the bucket of the backhoe. Following several successful weight attachments and relocations, Employee #1 swung a weight out over an adjacent trench. This caused the backhoe to become unstable, and it tipped over, landing on the attached river weight. The cab of the backhoe was crushed, killing Employee #1. The accident investigation revealed that Employee #1's death was attributed to massive head injuries.

Keywords: HEAD, MACHINE OPERATOR, CRUSHED, MECH MAT HANDLING, BACKHOE, OVERTURN, UNSTABLE LOAD

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Pipeline		New project or new addition		$20,000,000 and over			X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	310765243			Fatality	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Trenching, installing pipe Fatality Cause: Crushed/run-over/trapped of operator by operating

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