Highway Department Supervisor Struck by Reversing Dump Truck

On February 6, 1996, a 55-year-old male highway department supervisor (victim), died from multiple trauma after he was struck by a reversing dump truck at a multi-lane highway repair project. The victim was the job-site superintendent on the project. He had just instructed the driver of the dump truck to back his truck, loaded with asphalt material, to the beginning of the road patch area. After delivering instructions to the workers, the supervisor proceeded to walk along the shoulder of the highway toward the incident site. The dump truck began reversing along the patch they had just completed. At some point the supervisor crossed from the shoulder into the lane used by the reversing truck. The truck driver did not see the victim and backed over him. Witnesses tried to warn the victim and the driver, and rushed to the site and halted the truck. One witness ran to call 911. Local emergency medical services (EMS) responded within minutes; however the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The MO FACE investigator concluded that in order to prevent similar occurrences employers should:

• ensure that mobile equipment is equipped with well-maintained audible backup alarms to warn pedestrians of impending equipment movement;
• ensure that work procedure minimize or eliminate pedestrians’ exposure to hazards from moving vehicles and mobile equipment;
• consider providing personal audible alarms to pedestrian workers who are exposed to hazards of vehicle movement.