Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306746421 - Johnson'S Auto Repair, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Jacksonville Area Office

Investigation Summary

On July 15, 2003, automobile mechanic was under a 1997 Ford Chinook Concurse E-350 Triton V-10 motor home. The motor home was supported by four 3.5-ton jack stands. The employee was attempting to replace a carrier, also known as the chunk, into its housing at the middle of the rear axle of the vehicle. The employee realized that the carrier could not be placed into its housing without raising the vehicle a few more inches. So, he used a 20-ton hydraulic bottle jack to raise the vehicle. The 20-ton jack was not tall enough to raise the vehicle sufficiently, so the employee used two wood blocks to raise the vehicle higher. Apparently the wood blocks were placed between the 20-ton bottle jack and the concrete floor. When the vehicle was raised by the 20-ton bottle jack and wood blocks, the vehicle was no longer supported by the four 3.5-ton jack stands. Besides the 20-ton bottle jack and wood blocks, nothing else was used to support the raised vehicle. The employee was under the raised vehicle when it fell from the 20-ton bottle jack, and he was crushed. He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries which included a crushed windpipe, rib fractures and a lacerated aorta.

Keywords: VEHICLE, MECHANIC, CRUSHED, JACK