OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221680317
MIKE DAVIS
MINERAL WELLS, WV·
Event description
Employee is killed when struck by snapped rope under tension
Investigation abstract
At 7:29 a.m. on July 8, 2024, Employee #1 was standing approximately 100 feet away from a storm-damaged tree while the top of the tree was being dislodged using a 1/2-inch nylon rope with an inner core. The rope, identified as a Samson Arborfreak 16-strand 6,500 ABS rope, was attached to the tree and ran through a rope jenny fixed to a stump 56 feet away. The rope was then secured to a clevis 47 feet away, which was connected to a chipper being towed by a work truck. Under tension, the rope snapped and recoiled, striking Employee #1 in the chest. The impact caused a fatal laceration to the chest area.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 60 M
- Event type
- 1
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