Inspection Detail

Inspection: 304556269 - Hobo Corp. D/B/A Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad

Inspection Information - Office: Concord Area Office

Investigation Summary

On May 24, 2002, Employee #1 was using a Hydra-Mac skid-steer loader, Model 1300, Serial Number 2053, to spread crushed stone in an open lot. Employee #1 was found dead with his body leaning forward out of the front of the machine. His head was caught between the underside of the right loader arm and the frame of the loader. One of his legs was leaning against the right control lever of the unit and the right lever was pushed fully forward. Both of the loader's interlock activating arms where in the up position. According to the manufacturer, with these arms in the up position, the controls should have been locked. At the full forward position, the right lever put the bucket and loader arms in a float position, and the raised bucket and arms would have dropped almost instantaneously with the force of gravity. Further investigation revealed that the interlock system was intermittently ineffective. The interlock for the right lever would occasionally fail and, if pressure was put on the right lever with the interlock activating arms in the up position, this lever would suddenly move fully forward and the arm would fall. In addition, subsequent tests showed that the left lever, which controlled the unit's movement forward and backward, was not properly adjusted and the unit would creep forward when the interlock activating arms were in the up position. The springs that engaged the lock bar and prevented the controls from being operated were either not of the original size and type or were very worn and not strong enough to have pulled the bar into place.

Keywords: HEAD, INADEQUATE MAINT, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, CONSTRUCTION, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, LOADER, MECH MALFUNCTION