On December 29, 2010, a 41 year- old laborer with 4 years of experience died at a dimension stone operation. The victim was replacing a hydraulic lift arm cylinder on a skid steer loader. The lift arms suddenly lowered, pinning him against the frame of the machine.
Best Practices
- Establish safe work procedures and identify and remove hazards before beginning repair or maintenance tasks. Follow the equipment manufacturer’s procedures for the work being performed to ensure that all hazards have been addressed.
- Train persons to recognize the hazards associated with performing repair or maintenance tasks.
- Prior to performing repair or maintenance tasks, turn the power off and block any raised component against accidentally lowering.
- Assign a sufficient number of persons to repair or maintenance tasks to ensure the tasks can be safely performed.
- Do not place yourself in a position that will expose you to hazards while performing repair or maintenance tasks.
- Monitor personnel routinely to determine that safe work procedures are followed.
Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf), MSHA Investigation Report (pdf), Overview(powerpoint), Overview (pdf).