OSHA investigators arrived in Rosebush, MI on Tuesday, October 8th 2013 and began an accident investigation at Mears Group, Inc. A Excavating had been injured when the employee suffered fracture when caught between tank and hatch
Accident Date2013-09-24
Accident DegreeHospitalized injury
NarrativeOn September 24, 2013, Employee #1, Excavator, was working with a coworker filling potholes using a (Vermeer V800LEHD) vacuum excavator with the trailer mounted. The coworker, operator, raised up with no visibility where the employee was standing and with the rear hatch open and dumped its contents into the pothole to backfill it after the inspection of a pipeline had been completed. Employee #1 was looking into the tank when the coworker closed the hydraulic cylinder tank hatch in preparation to move the unit to the next pothole. The employee's head and neck were caught between the tank and the hatch lid. The coworker saw the employee's hand waving out of the side of the excavator and released the controls. When the hatch reversed its direction, Employee #1 fell to the ground. The employee was air lifted to UC Davis Hospital, where he was treated for fractures to his head and neck. Employee #1 was hospitalized for two days.