Inspection Detail

Inspection: 105751143 - Homer And Harold Burgan

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Abingdon (Field Office) - Safety 0355110

Investigation Summary

At 2:55 p.m. on October 1, 1990, Employee #1 and his twin brother were cutting trees for saw logs. Employee #1 cut a large poplar, then a 20 in. black oak. One or both of these trees fell against an 8 in. sassafras, breaking it at the ground. Apparently, the sassafras lodged against some other standing timber and remained upright for a period of time. The brother saw the tree start to fall and yelled to Employee #1, who was operating his chain saw. The brother found that Employee #1 had been hit by the falling tree and forced face-down onto the stump of the 20 in. black oak; he died of severe skull fractures.

Keywords: FRACTURE, TREE FELLING, LODGED TREE, SKULL, TREE, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, LOGGING