Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119761526 - Don E Nolan Trucking Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Redding District Office

Inspection Nr: 119761526

Report ID: 0950623

Date Opened: 11/09/1994

Site Address:
Don E Nolan Trucking Inc
Yager Creek Road 8
Carlotta, CA 95528

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 517, Fortuna, CA 95540

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:4212

NAICS: 0

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Complete

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 01/09/1995

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 01/19/1995

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	362111874

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 170362156

Event: 09/29/1994

Truck driver injured as log truck loses brakes

Employee #1 was driving a log truck for a lumber and log trucking business on Pacific Lumber Company land at its Yager Creed operation. Employee #1 has been a truck driver for about 30 years and had started driving log trucks last season, hauling logs from the Yager Creed log deck to the sawmill. This season, he had been hauling down Yager Creed Route 9 for about two weeks. The loader moved, requiring him to use Route 8. Other drivers warned him that there were a couple of sharp turns on this route. He made a descent on Route 8 that day without incident. The next day he took one load down Route 9. After adjusting the brakes, he left with a full load of logs down Route 8. Employee #1 noticed that he was picking up speed and having to use more brake than normal. As he was approaching a hairpin turn, he knew he had too much speed and saw the low pressure light come on (indicating the pressure had dropped to 65 lb). Employee #1 is unclear as to what happened after that. The CHP report indicates that for some reason, the brake system began to lose air and the fully loaded truck picked up speed. The truck failed to make the sharp turn to the right and instead went straight ahead, across a flat turnout area, where it struck and knocked over a tree. The truck came to rest about 50 ft down a hillside. Employee #1 suffered a broken knee and shin, dislocated shoulder with a torn rotator cup, requiring surgery, a compound fracture of his right leg, and facial injuries. Employee #1 said he was not aware of any problems with the brakes and that the company was very good at correcting any problems. The truck's maintenance and repair record gave no cause for concern with the brakes. The accident was apparently caused by the loss of air pressure in the brake system.

Keywords: AIR PRESSURE, FRACTURE, BRAKE, SPEEDING, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, LOG TRUCK, SHARP TURN, LOST CONTROL, LEG, TRUCK DRIVER

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	119761526			Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Truck drivers, heavy

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