Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310043500 - John Cagle Dba John Cagle

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Raleigh

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on July 13, 2006, Employee #1 was operating a Melroe Bobcat and was leveling the ruts in a dirt road created from vehicle tires such as tractor tires. Employee #1 was traveling South down the road when he turned the Bobcat towards the left (East) to dump the dirt out of the bucket on the sloped embankment. The embankment was sloped approximately 25 degrees at the location where the incident occurred. It appeared that the left front tire went off the side of the road down the embankment when Employee #1 lost control of the vehicle. The soil in the area was of Class C-type which consisted of sand and small unstable loose rocks. As the Bobcat tilted, Employee #1 apparently pressed the left side foot petal which raised or lowered the bucket causing the unit to flip forward due to the weight of dirt in the bucket. Employee #1 was not wearing his seat belt since it was broken and was thrown from the seat. As the unit flipped over, it struck Employee #1 in the head causing massive head trauma. The Bobcat came to a rest on its side at the bottom of the embankment next to the pond. The Melroe Bobcat was not equipped with ROPS and the seat beat was not in working condition. Employee #1 sustained multiple unspecified injuries resulting in death from being struck by the Melroe Bobcat at the time of the incident and was pronounced dead by the medical examiner.

Keywords: EJECTED, EMBANKMENT, ROLL-OVER, CRUSHED, SEAT BELT, LOST CONTROL