OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14447668
HEAD,TREE FELLING,WORK RULES,TREE,STRUCK BY,LOGGING,INATTENTION
Event description
EMPLOYEE STRUCK IN HEAD BY FALLING TREE
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 9:15 AM ON MAY 7, 1986, A SELF EMPLOYED LOGGER (EMPLOYEE #1) WA CAUSE OF THE LOUDNESS (ABOUT 105 DB) OF THE CHAIN SAW. (3) THE SHADOW OF THE FAL LING TREE DID NOT COME INTO EMPLOYEE #1'S VIEW BECAUSE OF THE EARLY HOUR. S ALONE IN THE WOODS, USING A CHAIN SAW TO TRIM PREVIOUSLY FELLED TREES. A 12 IN CH DIAMETER PINE TREE, WHICH HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PREPARED FOR FELLING BY MAKING A CUT ON EACH SIDE, FELL AND STRUCK EMPLOYEE #1 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS HEAD AN D FACE, KILLING HIM. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS LOCATED 50 FEET DOWNHILL, AND APPROXIMATELY AT A 35 DEGREE ANGLE TO ONE SIDE, OF THE PINE TREE. THE TREE HAD BEEN CUT TO FA LL STRAIGHT DOWN THE HILL, BUT IT APPARENTLY TWISTED AS IT FELL. CAUSAL FACTORS WERE (1) THE EMPLOYEE WAS LOCATED DOWNHILL FROM A TREE WHICH HAD BEEN PREPARED F OR FELLING (2) THE EMPLOYEE COULD NOT HEAR THE NOISE MADE BY THE FALLING TREE BE
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 40 M
- Nature of injury
- 6
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 39
- Occupation code
- 496
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Task assigned
- 1
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