Avoiding Fatalities: Run Over by a Flat Bed Dump Truck

This video is part of series of animated videos, created by ARTBA as a part of the FHWA Cooperative Agreement DTFH61-11-H-00029 and the OSHA Cooperative Agreement SH-24861-13-60-F-11. This video series is based on actual fatalities as investigated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) and documented in NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) reports. The videos follow the course of the accident and subsequent fatality and provide recommendations designed to control or eliminate the identified risk.

On April 26, 2004, a 26 year old Hispanic laborer (the victim) was backed over by a flat bed dump truck while working on a roadway work site. The victim drove the truck westward through the work site, while a laborer threw brackets used to secure concrete barriers onto the ground. Once completed, the victim parked the truck and walked to the tailgate area, where he met up with the laborer. The victim and the laborer began walking eastward together, towards the rest of the crew, with the victim walking a few steps in front of the laborer. Two other workers got into the truck to drive to another work site. Prior to leaving, the driver received a radio call that he could not understand. He placed the truck into reverse, to back towards the crew (east) to see what was needed. While walking, the laborer saw a carpenter running, waving his hands and yelling, and simultaneously he got a glimpse of the moving truck on his left side. The laborer jumped to his right and shouted a warning to the victim walking in front of him. After feeling a “thud,” the driver stopped. After getting out of the truck, he found the victim lying on the ground and called 911. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded and determined that the victim had multiple injuries and weak vital signs. The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital, and was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Taken from FACE summary — NIOSH In-house FACE Report 2004-11