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: 1730974.015 - Ponce Equipment & More

Inspection Information - Office: Houston South Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 10:00 p.m. on February 22, 2024, an employee and a coworker who were working as construction laborers for a concrete contractor were riding on the tailgate of a pickup truck to a new location. The crew was moving a 20-foot piece of lumber to the new location on the jobsite. The employee and the coworker had laid the piece of wood across the toolbox in the bed of the truck. While driving, the wood was hanging off the side the truck causing it to strike a stationary wire reel that lay in their path. This caused the piece wood to be thrown backward striking the employee and the coworker. The employee was thrown from the truck causing him to strike his head on the ground. He was hospitalized and died from his injuries two days later. The coworker also sustained injuries but survived.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Concrete Form Work, Construction, Construction vehicle, Fracture, Hard Hat, Head, Helmet, Laborer, Lumber, Material Handling, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, PPE, PPE Hazard Assessment, Pickup Truck, Riding on Equipment, Seat Belt, Skull, Struck Against, Struck By, Tailgate, Unsafe Position, Unstable Position, Wood