Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120173554 - Macmullin Forestry

Inspection Information - Office: Redding District Office

Investigation Summary

Employees were logging 50 acres of private land for their employer, who operated a logging site. They were felling timber and skidding logs to the landing using a D6C Caterpillar bulldozer, a 518 Caterpillar skidder, serial #50S2600, and a 966 Caterpillar loader. Employee #1 was operating the skidder. There were no witnesses to the accident and Employee #1 does not remember what happened. Apparently, the skidder rolled downhill and Employee #1 was thrown or jumped out. The skidder ran over part of his lower body, hit a large log at the road's edge and pushed it over a bank, coming to rest against the log. Employee #1 suffered a crushed left leg that eventually had to be amputated. The skidder was found over the bank in the upright position and Employee #1 was about 10 yards up a fairly steep skid road from where the skidder went over the bank. Employee #1 remembers that the skidder did not have brakes, although he does not know why. There was very little fuel in the tank, which may have caused the skidder to run out of fuel and the brakes, which require air pressure, to fail. The skidder did not have seat belts. Had seat belts been provided and used, there probably would not have been a serious injury. The employer was cited for a serious violation of 6309(h).

Keywords: BRAKE, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, STEEP GRADE, CRUSHED, SEAT BELT, SKIDDER, LOGGING, RUN OVER, LEG