Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025
105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221629371

CITY OF MARION - STREET DEPARTMENT

Event
Backhoe, Backhoe Boom, Backhoe Bucket, Blunt force trauma, Bucket, Equipment Operator, Fracture, Guide, Internal, Internal Injuries, Loader/Backhoe, Maintenance, Rib, Struck By, Thorax, Traumatic
NAICS
237310
Inspection type
Federal Agency
Activity number
#347196982
Employer profile
CITY OF MARION - STREET DEPARTMENT
Summary number
221629371
Report ID
0551702

Event description

Track hoe bucket strikes employee causing internal injuries

Investigation abstract

At 9:15 a.m. on December 29, 2023, Employee #1 was working for a municipality. CPR was administered by the backhoe operator until first responders took over some minutes after the incident. Employee #1 was later pronounced dead at the local hospital. Employee #1 was assisting the equipment operator of the track hoe with navigation of the unit into the garage bay for maintenance. The track hoe unexpectedly shifted or "twitched" according to the operator. When the unit shifted the bucket of the backhoe struck Employee #1 who was at the garage door entrance. Employee #1 was in the blind spot of the unit at the time he was struck according to the owner's manual which was reviewed during the inspection. The blow of blunt force from the bucket to Employee #1 caused multiple internal injuries including fractured ribs, punctured lung and damage to the hemothorax.

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 52 M

    Event type
    1
    Occupation code
    889

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.