Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307016204 - Opdenaker Trash Removal, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Osha Philadelphia Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a laborer, was performing trash collection operations in a residential neighborhood. He was one member of a two-man crew assigned to the truck; one driver and one helper. The truck was a right-hand drive vehicle with an articulated arm, situated on the right side behind the cab. The arm grabs the trash can, or "toter", raises it and dumps its contents into the opening in the top of the truck. The controls for the articulated arm were operated by the driver from inside the cab. Employee #1 worked outside the truck placing loose articles left on the ground into the toter so that the driver can empty them into the truck. The driver had just finished dumping a toter into the truck. He returned the toter to its original location curbside and prepared to pull the truck forward to proceed to the next customer location. Since the truck was a right-hand drive vehicle, the driver looked into the outside rearview mirror on the left-hand (passenger) side of the truck to see if the road was clear of traffic. He observed that the road was clear of vehicular traffic and proceeded to pull the truck forward to the next customer location. As the truck began to move forward, he felt a bump, as if the truck had run over something large. He then looked in the outside rearview mirror on the right side of the truck and saw Employee #1's legs extending out from between the double set of right rear tires. The driver ran to a nearby house and had the resident call for emergency personnel. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The company had no employee safety and health program and provided no training specifically on safe procedures to follow while performing trash collection operations.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, WORK RULES, RUN OVER, UNTRAINED, MOTOR VEHICLE, LEG