NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

18-year-old dies after being entangled in a portable mortar mixer - South Carolina.

Struttmann T; Koedam R; Casini V

Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 2003-13, 2004 Jan; :1-9

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/In-house/full200313.html

20024259

On May 15, 2003, an 18-year-old laborer (the victim) died after becoming entangled in a portable mortar mixer. The victim was cleaning the mixer at the end of his shift at a residential construction site to prepare it for the following day while a co-worker was brushing down the recently laid brick wall nearby. A painter working near the victim heard yells for help and saw the victim's arm stuck in the machine and his body being pulled into the rotating mixer paddles. He ran to the mixer and attempted to turn it off but could not disengage the gears so he yelled for help. The co-worker heard the commotion, ran to the machine, and shut it off. Emergency Medical Services was called and responded within minutes. Rescue workers dismantled the drive mechanism to reverse the mixing paddles and extricated the victim. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. NIOSH investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1) develop, implement and enforce a written safety program which includes, but is not limited to, task-specific hazard identification, avoidance and abatement; 2) train employees in the recognition of hazards, methods to control such hazards, and conduct and document regular safety meetings; 3) ensure that equipment is operated according to the manufacturer's specified procedures; 4) assign safety responsibilities to a competent * person at each job site; 5) establish basic elements of a lock-out/tag-out program; 6) assure all warning labels on the equipment are clearly visible and equipment is properly maintained. Additionally, manufacturers should; 7) consider installing a safety switch so that the engine cuts off when the guard is disconnected or removed from the drum guard lifter; 8) consider installing an engine kill switch on the machine

Region-4; Accident-prevention; Accidents; Age-factors; Training; Safety-measures; Safety-practices; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Occupational-hazards; Occupational-safety-programs; Traumatic-injuries; Construction-Search

20040107

Field Studies; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation

Construction

2004

PB2005-100566

A03

FACE-2003-13

DSR

NAICS-23

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

SC; WV