Inspection Detail

Inspection: 101865723 - Thompson Timber Company

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta East Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on April 7, 1987, Employee #1 talked with a coworker by telephone and discussed the day's work. At approximately 9:30 a.m., Employee #1 was discovered dead by two coworkers when they arrived at the job site. The coworkers found the skidder running without its brakes set or blade lowered, and with the transmission in neutral. Apparently Employee #1 had been working alone, pulling logs with the skidder, when he dismounted without setting the brakes or lowering the blade. Apparently the unsecured skidder began rolling and struck and ran over Employee #1. He had operated this equipment since 1971 and had never been observed getting off the machine without lowering the blade, even on level ground. The area where Employee #1 was found had a slope of 4 ft:25 ft.

Keywords: BRAKE, WORK RULES, SKIDDER, LOGGING, RUN OVER, SLOPE