Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for Kentucky: Asphalt Compactor Operator Dies When Machine Slides and Falls 17 Feet. FACE-02-KY-074.

摘要

A 32-year-old woman (the decedent) was killed when the asphalt compactor she was operating slid over an embankment and dropped 17 feet to a roadway below. At the time she was pressing an asphalt joint joining a roadway and a shoulder/emergency lane. She was two miles behind the asphalt truck and 1000 feet in front of a flat bed truck. The location of the incident had been identified as a possible hazardous location and her supervisors had instructed her to use extra caution in that area. The decedent was trained and had several years of experience operating an asphalt compactor. To prevent a similar occurrence, FACE evaluators recommend: (1) Employees should always use safety equipment provided (such as seatbelts). (2) A hazard assessment to identify potential hazards of the job site should be conducted before new work or continued work is performed. Spotters and/or cones should be used to remind operators of dangerous areas. (3) When employees are off from work for an extended period of time, they should be retrained before being exposed to hazardous jobs.