Road Maintenance Worker Died 15 Months After Falling Backwards Off a Dump Truck Onto Pavement

This 44 year old white male worked as part of a road crew doing repairs for 5 years. While loading a large slab of cement into a dump truck, the victim was pinned against the top side of the dump truck box by the end loader bucket. When another worker removed the end loader bucket to release the victim, he fell backwards off the truck onto the pavement, striking his head. The incident occurred at 8:30 AM on a dry and sunny day. The physician handling the case indicated that the worker had been basically brain dead since the work incident and the pneumonia he suffered was directly related to the debilitated state he was in due to the fall. The Wisconsin FACE investigator concluded that, in order to prevent occurrences, the employer should:

• Survey the work-site to identify hazards. All employees should then be informed of possible hazards.
• Consider and address worker safety in the planning stages of projects.