Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126012582 - Sherwood Mechanical Inc

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:15 a.m. on June 11, 1996, Employee #1 and coworkers were excavating for a storm sewer connection on the south side of a large shopping center. A John Deere front end loader was being used to move a trench plate. Employee #1 reached toward the chain holding the plate to steady it. The operator stopped when he saw Employee #1 move close to the elevated plate. The stopping action of the loader caused the plate to rotate. One end struck the ground and Employee #1's right foot, fracturing all five toes. The loader operator lowered the plate to the ground and dismounted to see if Employee #1 had been hurt because he had seen him jump back when the trench plate rotated. The operator contacted 911 by radio and reported the incident to his foreman. Paramedics arrived and transported Employee #1 to a local clinic for treatment. No violations of safety orders were found during investigation of this accident. The driver had nine years of experience with front end loaders and, according to the foreman, had repeatedly demonstrated proficiency in loader operations. Employee #1 was new to the work on this project but had discussed the trench plate moving procedure with the operator just prior to the accident. He was familiar with moving trench plates and had done the task many times before. All workers had been instructed to stand clear of raised loads and not to approach raised trench plates until they were placed on the ground.

Keywords: CLEARANCE, EXCAVATION, FRACTURE, FRONT END LOADER, WORK RULES, LOAD SHIFT, CONSTRUCTION, STRUCK BY, TOE