Feed truck driver dies after falling from ladder.
Source
NIOSH 1995 Jul; :1-4
Abstract
The victim was working alone at the time that the unwitnessed incident occurred. As a result, this report is based upon information obtained during the site investigation interviews and an inspection of the incident site. A 57-year-old male feed truck driver (victim) died of injuries sustained after falling from a wooden ladder. On the day of the incident, the victim delivered hog feed to a local farmer. He arrived at the farm and parked the feed truck approximately 25 feet away from two feed storage bins. An auger on the truck transferred the feed into the bins through an opening in the roof of each bin. The roof openings were fitted with covers that were accessed from ladders secured to the outside of the bins. The victim climbed a wooden ladder and while standing on it, removed the cover from the round bin. He climbed down, positioned the auger over the opening in the bin roof and started the truck unloading auger. At some time while the bin was being filled, the victim apparently fell from the ladder. He may have climbed the ladder to determine if the bin was nearly full. Because of the fall, he apparently struck his head on the frozen ground and sustained fatal skull fractures. Approximately 90 minutes after the victim arrived at the farm, he was found by the farm owner. The victim was found lying face down on the ground near the base of the wooden ladder. The farmer immediately placed a call to local emergency medical personnel. They arrived approximately 15 minutes later and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. MN FACE investigators concluded that to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences, the following guidelines should be followed: 1. feed bin manufacturers should design and develop a system that would enable workers to remove roof opening covers from ground level; and 2. employers should ensure that all employees are provided periodic safety training reviews of established safety programs.
Keywords
Region-5; Accident-analysis; Accident-prevention; Accidents; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Traumatic-injuries; Work-operations; Work-analysis; Work-areas; Work-performance; Work-practices; Safety-education; Safety-equipment; Safety-measures; Safety-monitoring; Protective-measures; Protective-equipment; Truck-drivers; Ladders; Training; Agricultural-industry
Document Type
Field Studies; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
Funding Type
Cooperative Agreement
Identifying No.
FACE-94MN073; Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-CCU-507283
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Performing Organization
Minnesota Department of Health
