OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14445092
STACKHOUSE, INC.
RICHMOND, VA·
Event description
CONSTRUCTION WORKER DROWNS IN CREEK
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 10:10 AM ON MARCH 11, 1988, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS OPERATING A "DITCH WITCH" TRENCH DIGGING MACHINE ON AN UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CABLE-LAYING JOB. HE DISMOUNTED THE MACHINE AND WALKED INTO THE NEARBY WOODS, APPARENTLY TO RELIEVE H IMSELF. WHEN HE DIDN'T RETURN AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES ONE OF THE MEN ON THE JOB W ENT TO LOOK FOR HIM. HE WAS FOUND LYING FACE-DOWN IN A CREEK IN WATER 6 INCHES D EEP. COWORKERS PULLED HIM OUT OF THE CREEK, BUT HE WAS NOT BREATHING. HE APPAREN TLY SUFFERED A SEIZURE OR HEART ATTACK AND FELL INTO THE CREEK. HE HAD A HISTORY OF SEIZURES. THE STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S PRELIMINARY REPORT STATED THAT DEATH WAS CAUSED BY ASPHYXIA DUE TO DROWNING.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 53 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 28
- Event type
- 12
- Source
- 41
- Occupation code
- 577
- Human factor
- 7
- Environmental factor
- 13
- 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.