Accident: 170105415 - Killed When Run Over By Flatbed Truck

At approximately 4:09 p.m. on or about June 27, 1997, Employee #1, the owner and operator, was using a forklift to remove a piece of industrial equipment from a flatbed truck. The flatbed truck needed to be started to power the winch. The starter switch was not working, so Employee #1 crawled under the truck to short the starter with a metal wrench. He had left the transmission in gear and no one was in the cab of the truck. The truck started rolling forward and crushed Employee #1 under its wheels. He was killed.

flatbed truck, run over, vehicle in gear, unmanned, mech malfunction, work rules, ignition system, crushed

Accident: 201080157 - Injures Fingers In Fan Belt

On September 10, 1996, Employee #1 was trying to start a Caterpillar booster pump engine, model 3304. When he turned the ignition switch, the starter engaged the flywheel and then became stuck. It did not turn the flywheel, so Employee #1 attempted to disengage the starter by pulling down on the belts to turn over the engine. When he began to pull on the belts, the engine started and his fingers became caught between the belts and the fan and alternator pulleys. Employee #1 sustained partial amputation of three of his fingers.

agriculture, engine, ignition system, finger, caught between, fan belt, pulley, amputated, work rules, stuck

Accident: 170591945 - Burned When Natural Gas Ignites

Employee #1, of the engine processor division of Dresser-Rand Company, was engaged in the start up of a natural gas compressor system. He was troubleshooting a Wankesha internal combustion compressor engine, serial #5346984, trying to get a spark from spark plug #1. The compressor's engine starter was driven by pressure from a natural gas field supply line. The starter's exhaust line had been opened. Employee #1 made a gap in the wire from the coil to the spark plug and was turning on the engine when the spark ignited the gas. Employee #1 suffered serious burns on his hands and face.

engine, flammable vapors, burn, spark, hand, face, natural gas, ignition system, engine

Accident: 170630941 - Burned When Furnace Ignites Unexpectedly

Employee #1 worked for a company that performed metal alloy injection molding. This involved melting metal in a furnace and then injecting it into a die. Employee #1 tried unsuccessfully to light a cold furnace using the standard procedure, then asked a coworker for help and opened the furnace door. While the coworker held down the gas and ignition switch, Employee #1 placed a lit piece of cardboard directly onto the furnace burner. The furnace ignited instantly, taking Employee #1 by surprise. He was standing in a flareback area and sustained minor burns. A furnace company called in to analyze the burner's failure to ignite determined that the air control mechanism, which supplies air for the air/fuel mixture, was defective. By opening the furnace door and holding down the switch, Employee #1 had bypassed the safeties that fed gas into the burner. With the blower set at high flow, the furnace lit once a source of ignition was introduced. Employee #1 later stated that he and his coworkers had previously used this method to light furnaces, but that it was not in line with the employer's procedures.

burn, furnace, mech malfunction, ignition system, work rules, molding machine

Accident: 14529077 - One Killed And One Injured By Igniting Fireworks

Employee #1 and #2 were setting up a fireworks display. Several 5 in. diameter shells had been loaded in their respective mortars. The group of 12 pvc pipe mortars was built in a wooden rack. Employee #1 was standing in front of the rack, using a manual staple gun to staple the quick matches to the top of the rack, when one of the mortars fired. The shell struck Employee #1 in the face, as he evidently was leaning over the mortar when the shell fired. He suffered massive craniocerebral trauma and died shortly thereafter. Employee #2, who was standing to the right of Employee #1, suffered minor burns to his face and neck and was treated and released that evening. Cause of the ignition of the shell was believed to be a spark from the steel staple striking dirt on the wood rack or friction igniting the quick match.

set up, fireworks, pyrotechnics, ignition system, hand tool, spark, fire, burn, face, neck

Accident: 958850 - Killed When Head Crushed By Truck

Employee #1, a 50-year-old lead truck mechanic, had many years of experience and a reputation for insisting on safe procedures. The investigation disclosed that the night driver had placed a truck on the east side of the scales and filled out a report noting an air leak. The driver was aware of a clutch adjustment problem as well, but thought the day driver had filled out a report on that. At 4:50 a.m., Employee #1 clocked in. At approximately 5:45 a.m., he was found lying under the left front truck wheel in the truck shop. Employee #1's head had been crushed by the truck as it rolled back. He was killed. The maxi brake was not set, the truck was in gear, the keys were in the dash-mounted switch (ignition), the remote starter switch pedal was attached to the starter terminals, and the wheels were not chocked. The Oakdale, CA, Police Department report indicates that Employee #1 was in a stressed mental state and had a history of bizarre statements and responses.

crushed, head, truck, vehicle in gear, mechanic, psych illness, remote control, ignition system, brake