Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1498796.015 - Abbey Bridges Construction Co., Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Tennessee Osha Memphis Office - Safety

Investigation Summary

At some time from 10:30 to 10:45 a.m. on October 22, 2020, an employee was working as a construction laborer for a poured concrete foundation and structure contractor. The employee was kneeling, nailing form work along the east side of a concrete footing about 3.5 ft by 3.5 ft by 4 ft (1.1 m by 1.1 m by 1.2 m) in size. A coworker was operating compactor about 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) away from the employee. The compactor was a BOMAG model BMP 8500 multipurpose compactor, with serial number 101720124143. The compactor was a remotely operated machine. It was about 50 in. high by 33 in. wide by 75 in. long (1.27 m high by 0.84 m wide by 1.91 m long). It weighed about 3,500 pounds (1,590 kg). The excavation around the footing measured approximately 2.5 to 3 feet deep by 20 feet long by 15 feet wide (0.76 to 0.91 m deep by 6.1 m long by 4.6 m wide). It was sloped back approximately 22 degrees. The coworker was operating the compactor across or parallel to the slope, rather than up and down the slope, along the east side of the excavation, adjacent to the footing. The compactor either slid and then tipped over, or it simply tipped over, but in either case, it struck the employee and pinned him against the form work. The employee was caught between the machine and the formwork surrounding the footing. He suffered a fractured pelvis, fractured ribs, and contusions. He was hospitalized. The excavation around the footing had been back filled at the time of the onsite inspection.

Keywords: Back, Broken Bone, Chest, Compactor, Concrete, Concrete Form Work, Construction, Contusion, Elderly, Excavation, Fracture, Laborer, Leg, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Mistake By Coworker, Noise, Pelvis, Pinned, Remote Control, Rib, Slope, Sloping, Struck By, Tips Over, Torso, Training