Inspection Detail

Inspection: 109010975 - Tanner Brothers Paving

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

On February 2, 1993, Employee #1, a laborer hired through a temporary service, arrived on the job site at approximately 10:00 a.m. The employer assigned him labor duties including fine grading the driveway and packing down lumps of asphalt behind the spreader. Employee #1 told the employer he knew how to operate the steel drum rollers. The job foreman showed him how he wanted the job to look. Employee #1 then operated a 1985 Galion dresser, model 1S3-58, serial #WD61350. A coworker was operating a Barber-Green spreader, model SB-131, serial #SB131X172. The coworker had completed the asphalt pull on one side and was getting ready to pull the other side when, according to him, the machine jumped out of gear and he lost control. The brakes also failed and he could not control the steering. The swerving machine traveled down the hill approximately 120 ft and collided into the rear of the roller that Employee #1 was operating and knocked him off. The roller turned over to the right and Employee #1 fell to the left. The spreader ran up on the curb, pinning Employee #1 underneath. Due to the tilt of the machine sitting on the curb, Employee #1 was not killed. EMS was called and a Bobcat was used to lift the spreader off Employee #1, who was approximately 3 to 4 ft from the curb. Employee #1 suffered burns on the right side of his face and his right hip from the asphalt. The burns required skin grafts. Employee #1 also suffered a crushed right hip and multiple cuts that required stitches, and lost the use of his right eye. The prognosis is that he will receive a glass eye. Causal factors include lack of safety and health training and lack of proper equipment maintenance.

Keywords: EYE, BRAKE, INADEQUATE MAINT, PINNED, WORK RULES, COLLISION, CRUSHED, LOST CONTROL, UNTRAINED, OVERTURN