Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1105553.015 - 69685 - Kelchner Construction Company

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

On October 31, 2015, Employee #1 was driving an off-road dump truck to assist in the excavation of a retention pond at a plant site. Prior to beginning of his shift, Employee #1 told a coworker that he was not feeling well and he intended to take a nap prior to his shift, which he did so for approximately 30 minutes. At approximately 10:30 am, after beginning his shift, while returning from dumping a load of soil on another section of the property, Employee #1 was observed by coworkers to have possibly lost consciousness and his vehicle left the roadway. The vehicle traveled approximately 300 yards across a cleared section of the site, and the vehicle drove over a vertical embankment approximately 12 feet above the floor of the retention pond, and the vehicle impacted the floor of the excavation cab. The employee received chest and head injuries in the incident, and was conscious and responsive after the crash of the vehicle. The employee was transported to the hospital, where he remained for ten (10) days convalescing, and appeared to be recovering. Following an in-hospital procedure to remove filters from his arteries, the employee suffered a fatal heart attack, and passed away on Nov 10, 2015. The County Coroner's Office reported that they were unable to determine the cause of Employee #1 having lost consciousness prior to the crash of the vehicle.

Keywords: Dump Truck, Embankment, Struck Against, Unconsciousness