Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1511269.015 - Cowan Systems, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

At 3:30 p.m. on January 23, 2021, an employee was working as a dispatch manager for a local general freight trucking company. A truck driver had been assigned to transport a pre-loaded 51 foot (15.5 meter) trailer that was staged in the lot. The truck driver could not connect the truck's wiring harness to the trailer, because the electrical socket on the trailer was broken. The truck driver made a phone call and sent a photo of the damaged plug to the office, located at an adjacent lot. The dispatch manager left the office and drove his personal vehicle over to the trailer. He flagged down the driver of a jockey truck that was driving in the area and spoke him. The dispatch manager asked the driver if he could assist him to make sure the electrical connection was working, and the driver agreed to do so. The driver of the jockey truck made his maneuver and backed up toward the trailer. According to the driver, he was reversing slowly, checking his left and right mirrors, and looking through the truck's rear window while lining up and reversing. The driver indicated that he was unaware that the dispatch manager was positioned between the trailer and his truck while it was in reverse. As the jockey truck driver continued to back up, the dispatch manager was pinned and crushed between the rear of the jockey truck and the trailer. He was hospitalized. He died from his injuries.

Keywords: Backing Up, Caught Between, Crushed, Driver, Obstructed Rear View, Pinned, Poor Visibility, Struck By, Tractor Trailer, Trailer, Trailer Truck, Truck