Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316619840 - Paving Services Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:30 p.m. on October 17, 2012, Employee #1 was performing the duty of operating a Caterpillar Paving Compactor, (Model Number CS-433E). The employee was working alone on the site grading a pad to pour concrete on so that a house could be erected. Employee #1 was receiving multiple truck loads filled with dirt, and he was using a Dozier to level out and then compact the dirt using the compactor before the next loads of dirt arrived. The pad was approximately 62-ft by 113-ft long with a sloping grade from front to rear of pad. The pad was roughly 22-ft high at the rear of the pad. Employee #1 was operating the compactor the length of the pad from front to back. The employee had been operating the compactor for an hour when the compactor throttled went down on its own towards the end of the pad. The vibrator function on the compactor was still engaged tamping the ground. Before Employee #1 could turn off the vibrator, the ground began to give way causing the compactor to slide sideways and begin to roll over onto its side. Employee #1 who was wearing his seat belt, as is company policy, unhooked the seat belt and attempted to jump to safety by leaping in the direction that the paving compactor was falling. The employee hit the ground and before he could get up to run, he was struck by the roll over protection on the compactor and pinned underneath the machine for approximately one hour before a passerby heard him screaming for help. Employee #1 turned off the paving compactor vibrator by using a marker stake that was next to him and using it to depress the on/off switch. The machine ran for approximately 20 minutes before the engine locked up on the machine. Emergency Medical Service transported Employee #1 to a local hospital, where he was treated for a broken pelvis, legs and damage to the urethra. Employee #1 remains hospitalized.

Keywords: FRACTURE, GRADER, DIRT TAMPER, UNDERPINNING, ROLLER--CONST EQUIP, ROLL-OVER, PELVIS, CONCRETE, LEG, OVERTURN