As Driver 3 lay under the idling truck’s spinning PTO shaft, his coat sleeve became entangled in the grease fitting on the front universal joint. He was twisted onto the shaft and under the bed of the dump truck. When Driver 1 returned to his truck to wait for assistance from the company mechanic, he found the decedent caught in the PTO drive shaft underneath the truck. Driver 1 yelled to Owner 1 in the tower to call emergency medical services to the scene. While Owner 1 called 911, he called Owner 2 to the scene. Owner 2 found the decedent entangled in the PTO shaft and with the assistance from Driver 4, they proceeded to cut his clothing to free him from the shaft. Owner 2 tried to resuscitate Driver 3 (decedent) while EMS was enroute. Emergency medical services arrived six minutes later, determined the driver was in critical condition, and notified emergency air care. As emergency medical personnel placed Driver 3 in an ambulance and transported him to a nearby field where the air ambulance waited, he died. Air transport was cancelled and the local coroner was contacted who arrived and declared Driver 3 dead at the scene.
Recommendations:
* Ensure that trucks are turned in the “off” position and keys removed, prior to driver exiting and leaving the motor vehicle unattended.
* Employers should provide comprehensive safety training for all newly hired personnel including temporary and substitute drivers before they are allowed to work in the field.
* Loose clothing should not be worn while repairing machinery.
* Employers should require that operators or other competent persons perform daily safety checks on the mobile equipment prior to operating them using an expanded Department of Transportation Inspection form.
* Educate employees about the hazards of PTO’s and ensure they do not crawl under, on, or over unguarded power take-off (PTO) drivelines while the PTO is operating.
* Consideration should be given to engineering machine guards for truck power take-off;, equipment should be designed or retrofitted to shield any open, unguarded power take-off drivelines.
Recommendations:
* Ensure that trucks are turned in the “off” position and keys removed, prior to driver exiting and leaving the motor vehicle unattended.
* Employers should provide comprehensive safety training for all newly hired personnel including temporary and substitute drivers before they are allowed to work in the field.
* Loose clothing should not be worn while repairing machinery.
* Employers should require that operators or other competent persons perform daily safety checks on the mobile equipment prior to operating them using an expanded Department of Transportation Inspection form.
* Educate employees about the hazards of PTO’s and ensure they do not crawl under, on, or over unguarded power take-off (PTO) drivelines while the PTO is operating.
* Consideration should be given to engineering machine guards for truck power take-off;, equipment should be designed or retrofitted to shield any open, unguarded power take-off drivelines.
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