Inspection Detail

Inspection: 108430901 - Dpw-Cecil County Roads Division

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was the crew leader of a four-man highway maintenance crew that had been assigned to repair and repatch various roadway sections. At 10:00 a.m. it was 96 degrees F outside. Employee #1 and the two seasonal employees finished their work in one area and placed their tools in the bucket of a backhoe. They climbed into the bucket of the backhoe and were leaning against its back. They had traveled approximately 200 to 300 ft when, just before stopping, the backhoe operator turned left. Braking and making the turn at the same time caused the backhoe to jerk and throw Employee #1 and a coworker out of the bucket. Employee #1 landed on the ground, striking both arms and knees, and the coworker landed on top of him. Employee #1 worked the rest of the day but by the next morning he could barely bend his arms and knees and then reported the accident. He had sustained a fracture to his left arm, and a jammed right arm and right knee. The coworker was not injured. The third employee was not thrown from the bucket. Cecil County had no safety rules forbidding employees from riding in the buckets of backhoes. The left brake of the backhoe had been defective for at least six months.

Keywords: EJECTED, KNEE, FRACTURE, BRAKE, INADEQUATE MAINT, STRUCK AGAINST, RIDING ON EQUIPMENT, ARM, BACKHOE, BACKHOE BUCKET