Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314060724 - Pester Grading, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Omaha Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on May 18, 2011, the Employer #1 arrived on the work site where the company was contracted by the land owner to crush concrete blocks into gravel. Employee #1, who was the only employee in the company outside of Employer #1, was on site welding on a sifter screen near the gravel crusher. Employer #1 and Employee #1 discussed the day's tasks to be completed, and Employer #1 then began operating a backhoe on the far side of the site. At approximately 10:30 a.m., Employer #1 observed Employee #1 pull a Cat 966 front end loader into position, approximately 50 yards from Employer #1's work position. Employee #1's final work position was located outside of Employer #1's sight line, behind a 25-foot gravel pile. A few minutes after Employee #1 pulled the front end loader into position, the employer observed Employee #1 carrying a sledgehammer. Approximately 5 minutes later, Employer #1 was interrupted by some employees of the land owner calling for him to stop work. He immediately shut the backhoe down and walked over to the area near the front end loader where he found Employee #1 lying face down, with his arms by his side. Employee #1 was also experiencing labored breathing. Employer #1 called emergency services and informed them of the emergency. Employer #1 then rolled Employee #1 over to ascertain his condition. Employee #1 was laboring to breathe and could not talk. When he was asked where he was hurting, Employee #1 pointed to his lower left side. Approximately 10 minutes after the call to emergency services was placed, paramedics and other emergency personnel arrived. Employee #1 was treated and within a few minutes the paramedics braced Employee #1's neck and back and placed him on a gurney and loaded him up for transport to the hospital. Employee #1 was taken to Lincoln General West hospital, where he underwent treatment. The full extent of Employee #1's injuries were not known, but it is possible that Employee #1 may have suffered some internal injuries, and definitely had scrapes to his chest. Interviews with Employer #1 and observation of the site indicated that most likely Employee #1 was using a sledgehammer to pound on a retaining pin from the dog bone on the bucket to the actuating arm of the front end loader. Due to the fact that Employee #1 was working alone at the time of the accident, the exact nature of the accident is unknown.

Keywords: FRONT END LOADER, LACERATION, HAND TOOL