Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302537618 - Lloyd E. Bailey Iii

Inspection Information - Office: Concord Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was winching two trees, which were leaning against two smaller trees and in the direction of the skidder. The hand control in the skidder's cab was not working, so Employee #1 was standing on the right side of the skidder frame, reaching back toward the winch head to manually activate the cable. Apparently, as he winched in the larger trees, Employee #1 saw one of the two smaller trees tipping toward him. He either tried to jump clear of the skidder and out of the way of the tree, or quickly tried to leap into the cab. Instead, Employee #1 fell forward over the right front tire of the machine, tipped upside down, and struck his head on the frame of the skidder blade, just forward of the hydraulic piston attachment point. He sustained severe head injuries and was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Keywords: HEAD, WORK RULES, STRUCK AGAINST, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, FALL, SKIDDER, LOGGING, WORK SURFACE, UNSTABLE POSITION