OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221557937
PATERSON TREE SERVICE INC
PORT SANILAC, MI—
Event description
Employee dies of blunt force trauma to chest
Investigation abstract
At 8:45 a.m. on April 24, 2023, an employee was driving a Case SV250 Skid Steer the owner attached the rigging line. The owner told the employee to watch out, making sure not to hit the tree or small barn; so, the employee moved the skid steer loader approximately 5-6 feet after the knot was tied, causing approximately 5-6 feet of slack in the rigging line. The owner said that when the employee reversed the skid steer loader, the slack rigging line was shock loaded. The rigging line snapped approximately three feet from the tie off point on the front axle of the bucket truck and flew into the cab of the skid steer loader, directly hitting the employee in the chest. The owner got out of the bucket truck to make sure the employee was ok; when the owner got to the skid steer loader the employee was gasping for air. The owner then removed the Loader in attempt to pull out a Ford F650 bucket truck and a Bandit Model 250 XP employee from the skid steer loader, called 911, and proceeded with CPR until the responding authorities arrived. The employee was taken to the McKenzie Health System Emergency Room in Sandusky, MI via Sanilac EMS, where he died from his injuries. The employee sustained blunt force trauma to his chest. woodchipper that were stuck on the lawn of a private residence. The owner directed the employee to drive the skid steer loader to the front of the bucket truck that was attached to the woodchipper. The owner attached the rigging line via a double bowline knot on the front axle of the bucket truck to the tie down loop on the bucket of the skid steer loader. There was approximately 15-20 feet of rigging line in between the skid steer loader and the bucket truck. There was a tree and a small barn that were directly behind the skid steer loader after
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 35 M
- Event type
- 1
- Occupation code
- 889
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