Hispanic Laborer Crushed Between Lift Arms and Frame of Skid-steer Loader

New Jersey Case Report: 12NJ010
Release Date: August 20, 2013

The following report is the product of our Cooperative State partner and is presented here in its original unedited form from the state. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the individual Cooperative State partner and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

SUMMARY

A 34-year-old Hispanic male laborer at a snow removal company died after being crushed between the lift arms and the chassis of a small skid-steer loader at a maintenance/storage yard. On the day of the incident, the decedent was attempting to repair the pedal of the skid-steer loader that controls the raising and lowering of the lift arms. In order to access the pedal for repairs, the victim attached a three-ton overhead chain hoist to the skid-steer loader to lift the bucket. As he was repairing the pedal, the bucket/lift arms came free of the hoist, dropped down, and crushed the victim.

Hispanic Laborer Crushed Between Lift Arms and Frame of Skid-steer Loader [PDF 604 KB]