Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309155190 - David A. Bramble, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On July 1, 2005, Employee #1, a scraper operator, was stripping topsoil and unloading it on the topsoil pile using a Caterpillar 615C Elevating Scraper. The pile was approximately 12 feet tall. Employee #1 drove the scraper up the blind side of the pile. The blind side is the side of the machine opposite the cab which is offset to the left side of the scraper. While the operator is sitting in the cab, the operator cannot see the right front tire. As Employee #1 drove up the blind side of the pile, the right front tire was too close to the edge, causing the edge of the pile to collapse, which caused the scraper to roll down the side of the pile. Employee #1 operator sustained a broken hip, fractured leg and separated the muscles and diaphragm from his chest. He was hospitalized. Employee #1 stated that he had received training on the operation of the machine, although it was less than four hours before he was released to operate it by himself. The company's safety official stated that training had taken place, but acknowledged that the program needs improvement.

Keywords: FRACTURE, SCRAPER, OBSTRUCTED VIEW, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, UNSTABLE SOIL, HIP, LEG, UNSTABLE POSITION