Inspection Detail

Inspection: 105669709 - Tri-County Asphalt, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Manassas (Regional Office)- Safety 0355114

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on December 16, 1988, Employee #1, who was part of a paving crew applying asphalt to a roadway under construction, was measuring the width of pavement for a paving machine. A 1986 GMC three-axle dump truck, serial #1 GDX9FOX8GV900058, with approximately 30,000 lb of asphalt, was backing slowly toward the paving machine, which was located over 100 ft away. Employee #1 was walking with his back to the approaching truck, setting the string line. It was cold and windy that day, and the driver did not see the employee nor did the employee observe the truck or hear its back-up alarm. A coworker who was on the other end of the string line yelled to Employee #1 to warn him of the approaching truck. Just as he turned around to look, the lower part of the truck bed struck the left side of his head and knocked him forward onto the ground, running over him. The truck driver felt a rocking motion and when he stopped to check, he saw Employee #1 lying under the left running board. The employee sustained multiple fractures and crushing injuries that resulted in his death. The main causal factor was human error on the part of Employee #1. He was so intent on what he was doing that he failed to heed the truck's audible back-up alarm.

Keywords: WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, DUMP TRUCK, STRUCK BY, WALKING BACKWARD, RUN OVER, BACKING UP, INATTENTION