BROADWAY RENTAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY

EMPLOYEE CRUSHED AS CEMENT TRAILER DUMP BOX FELL ON HIS BACK

EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE A HYDRAULIC LINE SO THAT HE COULD USE IT AS A SAMPLE IN MAKING ANOTHER ONE. HE USED A HAND OPERATED PUMP ON THE DRAWBAR TO RAISE THE DUMP BOX ON THE CEMENT DELIVERY TRAILER TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HYDRAULI C LINE AT ITS ATTACH POINT (AT THE LIFTING CYLINDER). HE ENTERED THE MACHINE BET WEEN THE TWO AXLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DUMP TRAILER. HIS UPPER CHEST WAS LO CATED BETWEEN THE RAISED BOX AND THE STEEL FRAME OF THE DUMP BOX. HE USED AN ADJ USTABLE WRENCH TO DISCONNECT THE HYDRAULIC LINE FROM THE CYLINDER. WHEN IT WAS F REE, THE HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS EXPELLED FROM THE EXTENDED CYLINDER BY THE WEIGHT O F THE BOX. THE BOX THEN SETTLED DOWN ONTO HIS BACK, CAUSING HIS CHEST TO BE CONS TRICTED BETWEEN THE BOX AND STEEL FRAME. DEATH WAS DUE TO ASPHYXIA, WITH NO FRAC TURES OR INTERNAL ORGAN DAMAGE. THE TRAILER'S DUMP BOX WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET WIDE AND 94 FEET LONG, OF 1/8 INCH STEEL CONSTRUCTION. IT HAD A CAPACITY OF 1.2 5 CUBIC YARDS OF CEMENT. THE INTERIOR OF THE BOX HAD A 1/16 TO 1/8 INCH BUILDUP OF HARDENED CEMENT, AND 3 TO 4 CUBIC FEET OF ICE LOCATED IN THE FRONT HALF OF TH E BOX. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS NOT EXTRICATED F OR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS.