Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300362548 - Shafer Contracting Co Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Minnesota Department Of Labor And Industry

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:20 a.m. on October 31, 1996, Employee #1, a batch plant operator, was working at a belly dump station. The station consisted of a dirt ramp leading to a large grate. Trucks would drive onto the ramp, position the belly dump (underside) doors of their trailers over the grate, and open them to release loads of food. The food would drop through the grate onto a conveyor system, which would then move it into storage piles. The belly dump doors were normally opened by a switch in the truck's cab, but on cold days moisture in the pneumatic apparatus sometimes froze, preventing the remote opening system from functioning. This day was cold, and a driver at the site was unable to trigger his doors, even after injecting alcohol into the trailer's air lines to flush out the frozen material. Since a number of other trucks were in line behind him, the driver decided to move his rig off the ramp and address the problem elsewhere. As he was preparing to leave, Employee #1 decided to open the dump doors manually by activating the electric pneumatic valve under the rear of the trailer. Without signaling the driver of his intentions, Employee #1 climbed the side of the ramp and walked under the trailer from the passenger side. He was standing in front of the dual right rear tires when the driver, unaware of his presence, drove down the ramp. Employee #1 was run over and killed.

Keywords: RAMP, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, DUMP TRUCK, FROZEN, RUN OVER, COMMUNICATION