• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Logo

Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

Library of Resources to Improve Roadway Work Zone Safety for All Roadway Users

  • About
  • Join Listserv
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Work Zone Data
    • At a Glance
    • National & State Traffic Data
    • Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends and Statistics
    • Worker Fatalities and Injuries at Road Construction Sites
  • Topics of Interest
    • Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
    • Smart Work Zones
    • Transportation Management Plans
    • Accommodating Pedestrians
    • Worker Safety and Welfare
    • Project Coordination in Work Zones
  • Training
    • Flagger
    • Online Courses
    • Toolboxes
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
    • COVID-19 Guidance
  • Public Awareness
  • Events
  • About
  • Listserv
  • Contact
  • Search
Publication

Worker Dies After Being Run Over by a Caterpillar

Abstract:

A 46-year-old worker (victim) died of injuries he sustained after being run over by a caterpillar at a construction site. On the day of the incident, workers were preparing the base for new asphalt roadways in a residential housing development. The victim’s job was to work near the caterpillar and advise the operator if the material being added was level or not in preparation for laying the curbing. The operator of the caterpillar was aware that the victim was working behind the caterpillar, but he didn’t realize how close to the caterpillar he was. The operator of the caterpillar had been driving forward when he looked back and noticed that the victim had been run over. Another coworker placed a 911 call and emergency personnel arrived shortly after being called and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. MN FACE investigators concluded that, in order to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences, the following guidelines should be followed:
mobile equipment should be equipped with an audible back-up alarm as well as sensing units to detect pedestrian workers in the blind spots of the equipment operator;
employers should ensure that equipment is always maintained in the proper working condition; and
employers should design, develop, and implement a comprehensive safety program

Publisher: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Publication Date: January 28, 1998
Full Text URL: Link to URL
Publication Types: Books, Reports, Papers, and Research Articles
Topics: Crash Reports; Worker Safety

Copyright © 2023 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse is a project of the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. It is operated in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. | Copyright Statement · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation, American Road and Transportation Builders Association U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas A&M Transportation Institute