Accident: 655993 - Hand Crushed By Falling Radio Tower

Employee #1 was sweeping debris from under a 300 ft high, 14,000 lb radio antenna that had been raised by two 10-ton hydraulic jacks to facilitate replacement of a damaged base insulator. One of the jacks twisted and the tower fell, crushing Employee #1's right hand.

communication tower, falling object, hand, crushed, cleaning, construction, hydraulic jack, mech malfunction, struck by

Accident: 170150726 - Hand Crushed By Falling Flatbed Rail Car

Employee #1 was working on an axle of a flatbed rail car, which had been raised using a hydraulic jack. It was also chocked on opposite sides by multiple blocks of wood, which did not effectively block or support the load. A crane lowered another flatcar onto the track adjacent to the car on which Employee #1 was working. When the flatcar was set down, it rolled and struck a remixer car, which then bumped the flatbed car and knocked it off the jack. Employee #1 sustained a laceration when the derailed car came down on his hand.

construction, unsecured, work rules, laceration, falling object, hand, hydraulic jack, blocks, flatbed rail car, unstable position

Accident: 200690105 - Killed When Fork Truck Slips Off Jack

Employee #1 was removing or tightening a leaking hydraulic filter on a propane-powered fork truck. He placed a hydraulic jack under the driver's side of the truck, and raised it approximately 12 in. off the floor. The vehicle slipped off the jack and fell, crushing Employee #1against the concrete garage floor. He was killed. Employee #1 had not engaged the brake of the fork truck, nor had he put jack stands under the fork truck or chocked its wheels.

industrial truck, repair, hydraulic jack, work rules, unsecured, chock, unstable position, falling object, jack, brake

Accident: 201260148 - Killed When Car Falls Off Bumper Jack

On July 25, 1997, Employee #1 was working alone on a 1991 Plymouth Acclaim automobile. The car was apparently suspended by a hydraulic bumper lift at the front when the bumper appears to have given way. The automobile fell off the lift jack, pinning Employee #1 beneath it. The vehicle tie rod struck his head and the shock/strut struck his chest. Employee #1 was killed. When Employee #1 was found by a neighbor, the automobile was in park, and the lift jack was still in the raised position in front of the damaged bumper.

automobile, automotive repair, hoisting mechanism, bumper jack, pinned, falling object, caught between, unstable position, work rules, hydraulic jack

Accident: 201790151 - Injured By Forklift When Hydraulic Jack Fails

At 8:35 a.m., Employee #1 began to inspect and service the U-joints on a large, 15,000 lb capacity industrial forklift. Using his personal hydraulic jack, he raised the lift and partially blocked the vehicle. He then entered the zone beneath the undercarriage and began to work. Minutes later, he heard a crack and felt the undercarriage shift as fell, pinning Employee #1 to the ground. He sustained multiple trauma to his chest and abdomen. Employee #1's efforts to block the forklift were ineffective. The employer was fully aware that Employee #1 was using his own jack, and he encouraged the mechanics to bring in and use their own tools.

hydraulic jack, industrial truck, work rules, falling object, chest, abdomen, blocks, equipment failure, struck by, pinned

Accident: 170623896 - Injured When Struck By Falling Motor Home

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on March 25, 1996, Employee #1 was placing the hydraulic jack of a motor home beneath its rear tire. The automatic jack failed and the vehicle fell, partially striking Employee #1. He sustained a chest contusion and was transported by private vehicle to Antelope Valley Hospital, Lancaster, CA, where he was treated and released.

jack, unstable position, equipment failure, falling object, struck by, hydraulic jack, chest, contusion, mobile home

Accident: 170081673 - Killed When Pinned Under Modular Building

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on March 1, 1996, Employee #1, an 18-year-old, and a coworker were lowering and leveling a 16 ft by 46 ft modular building that weighed about 23 tons. The employees were using two 20 ton hydraulic jacks under the building to lower the front half of it to the ground. Cribbing material, such as 4 in. wide concrete blocks and old tires, was also being used. Both employees were partially under the building when it suddenly shifted. The hydraulic jacks could not support it and the front portion fell on top of Employee #1. He sustained a fractured neck and was killed. The coworker was also partially pinned under the building, but he was not seriously injured. The jacks were situated on a good surface: 4 in. by 8 in. by 3 1/2 ft long wooden blocks and a poured concrete pad in the ground. OSHA recommended that wooden blocks be used between the top of the jack and the building structure as a safety measure in case of load shifts.

pinned, neck, work rules, hydraulic jack, construction, load shift, blocks, fracture, unstable load