OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14340335
FRACTURE,TREE FELLING,TREE LIMB,TREE,NECK,STRUCK BY,FALLING OBJECT
Event description
EMPLOYEE STRUCK AND KILLED BY FALLING TREE LIMB
Investigation abstract
AT ABOUT 4 PM ON MAY 13, 1987, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS FELLING A 90 FOOT PINE TREE NEAR ED. (SECTION 5(A)(1), 1910.266(A)(1) AND (E)(II)). EMPLOYER DID NOT SUPPLY, AND REQUIRE THE USE OF, GLOVES, BALLISTIC NYLON LEGGINGS, AND SAFETY BOOTS OR SHOES. (1910. 132(A), 1910.266(C)(1) AND 1910. 266(A)(1)). EMPLOYER DID NOT PROVIDE A PERSON ADEQUATELY TRAINED IN FIRST AID IN THE ABSENCE OF AN INFIRMARY, CLINIC, O R HOSPITAL LOCATED IN NEAR PROXIMITY TO THE WORKPLACE. EMPLOYER DID NOT PROVIDE FIRST AID SUPPLIES APPROVED BY A CONSULTING PHYSICIAN (INCLUDING SNAKEBITE KITS) SUFFICIENT FOR THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, AND ONE SUCH KIT FOR EACH TRANSPORT VEH ICLE. (29CFR 1910.151(B). SEE ALSO 1910.266(C)(1)(VII)). SOME BLACK GUM TREES. HE WAS USING A HUSQVARNA CHAIN SAW. HE WAS NOT WEARING GLO VES, LEGGINGS OR SAFETY SHOES, BUT HAD PLANNED A RETREAT PATH AND KEPT IT CLEAR BEFORE STARTING THE CUT. THE PINE TREE BEING FELLED STRUCK A BLACK GUM TREE, BRE AKING OFF ONE OF THE BLACK GUM'S LIMBS WHICH FELL AND STRUCK EMPLOYEE #1, BREAKI NG HIS NECK. EMPLOYEE #1 DIED ABOUT 50 MINUTES LATER IN A HOSPITAL LOCATED 6 MIL ES AWAY. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES. CAUSES: THE EMPLOYER DID NOT ESTABLISH AND ENF ORCE A PROCEDURE FOR APPRAISING THE SITUATION FOR DEAD LIMBS, LEAN OF THE TREE, WIND CONDITIONS, LOCATION OF OTHER TREES AND OTHER HAZARDS BEFORE A CUT IS START
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 51 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 20
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.