Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1571968.015 - 75261 - Town Of Great Falls-Public Works

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

Investigation Summary

At 12:00 a.m. on January 7, 2022, Employee #1 was working out of a van equipped with a bucket lift taking down Christmas decorations in the roadway. The Christmas decorations were approximately 20 feet above ground level. Employee #1 and crew were near the end of the task and had three more wreaths to take down prior to the incident. Employee #1 was wearing a harness and lanyard riding in the bucket of the lift, while the supervisor drove the van and another coworker was riding in the passenger seat. Another set of coworkers followed behind the van in a truck to retrieve the removed decorations. Once the crew made the turn onto Dearborn Street, some coworkers noticed the elevated bucket on the van began to rise and almost hit a power line. The supervisor and driver of the van did not notice the bucket had elevated. As the van passed under a tree, Employee #1 ducked down barely missing the branch, but the branch came in contact with the bucket. The rear portion of the bucket shattered, and Employee #1 fell out of the bucket onto the grass on the shoulder of the road. The injuries were blunt force trauma to torso, head, and neck. Employee #1 was killed.

Keywords: Blunt force trauma, Bucket , Fall Protection, Head, Lift Bucket, Neck, Road, Torso, Tree