Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309338960 - Erdman Anthony Associates, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Erie Area Office

Investigation Summary

On July 11, 2007, an employee was employed by Engineering Consultation firm, who was performing third party inspection work for a PENN DOT project. The project involved road milling and resurfacing on I-80 between Mile Markers 120 and 137. Appropriate work zone clothing was worn by the employee. The employee was killed, when he was backed over by a tri-axle dump truck. The truck Number 01's back-up signal alarm was barely audible. The back-alarm could not be heard while standing at the Truck's operators cab. The sound level meter readings measured the back-up alarm at 78.9 dB. The 78.9 dB reading was measured approximately 1-foot away from the trucks tailgate. The sound level meter could not pick-up any readings at distances of 2-feet 3-feet, 8-feet, 10-feet, 15-feet, and 20-feet. These readings indicated that personnel had to be almost underneath the truck's tailgate to hear the back-up alarm.

Keywords: BACK-UP ALARM, DUMP TRUCK, STRUCK BY, RUN OVER, MOTOR VEHICLE, BACKING UP