OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14340368

ABDOMEN,IMPALED,WORK RULES,EQUIPMENT OPERATOR,TREE,TRACTOR,INATTENTION

1987-07-22T00:00:00

Event: ABDOMEN,IMPALED,WORK RULES,EQUIPMENT OPERATOR,TREE,TRACTOR,INATTENTION
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14340368
Report ID: 418400

Event description

Tractor operator killed when impaled by tree

Investigation abstract

At approximately 12:30 p.m. on July 22, 1987, Employee #1 was ploughing a fire b reak in preparation for burning a tract of land that would be re-planted with pi ne trees. He was using a Caterpillar tractor equipped with a V-shear blade. Empl oyee #1 apparently traveled too far to the right and contacted a cypress tree th at was lying parallel to the path of the tractor. The tree went past the blade a nd over the right track, breaking through the protective mesh at the lower front part of the cab. The tree bent the operator's padded metal seat and impaled Emp loyee #1 below the rib cage, pinning him against the rear of the cab. He apparen tly died immediately.

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 35 M

Nature of injury
18

Part of body
1

Event type
1

Source
39

Occupation code
999

Human factor
1

Environmental factor
2

Hazardous substance
8330

Task assigned
1

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