Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109584

Michael McCann, PhD, CIH, The Center to Protect Workers' Rights, 8484 Georgia Avenue, Ste. 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 212-481-2569, michael.mccann@att.net

The purpose of this study was examine heavy equipment-related deaths in the excavation industry. Analysis of excavation industry deaths from 1992 to 2001 using data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries identified 176 heavy equipment-related deaths on construction sites -- about 18 per year. Bulldozers, backhoes, loaders and road grading and surfacing machinery were involved in three-quarters of the deaths. Heavy equipment operators and construction laborers comprise 70% of the workers killed. Half of the deaths involved heavy equipment operators, with overturns being the main cause of death. Failure to fasten seat belts was identified as a contributing cause in at least one-fifth of the overturns. Ensuring adequate rollover protective structures (ROPS) and enforcement of fastening of seat belts is a crucial recommendation. For heavy equipment operators on foot around their equipment and for workers maintaining them, being run over by the equipment or being caught in/between equipment parts were the main causes of death. Failure to set brakes or otherwise lock out the equipment was a major contributing cause of death. One recommendation is promulgation of an OSHA lockout/tagout standard for construction. For workers on foot, being struck by heavy equipment, especially while backing up, and being struck by equipment loads and parts were the major causes of death. For workers in trenches, being struck by backhoe loads, backhoe parts, or falling backhoes caused three-quarters of the deaths. Possible recommendations include establishing restricted access zones and requiring spotters for workers behind heavy equipment.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the paper, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe the risks to drivers operating construction heavy equipment.
• Describe the risks to workers on foot around moving construction heavy equipment.
• List precautions that workers on foot and construction heavy equipment operators can take to prevent injury.

Keywords: Construction Injuries, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation