Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for California: Mechanic Dies When Bus Falls Off Jack Stands and Crushes Him

摘要

A 48-year old male mechanic (decedent) died when he was crushed by a bus that fell off jack stands. He had jacked the 37,500 pound bus up with lifts that cradle each rear tire. When the rear of the bus was lifted, the decedent placed jack stands underneath the trailing arms of the rear suspension. The jack stands were fabricated by a local welding shop. They were made with quarter-inch plate steel on the top and bottom with a square steel tube welded between. The front tires had not been chocked. As he was performing a brake job underneath the bus, the bus slipped off the jack stands. The bus crushed the decedent between the rear axle and the concrete floor. The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent future occurrences, employers should as part of their Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP): (1) ensure employees use only tools and equipment that have been tested, certified and rated. (2) ensure employees chock the wheels of vehicles that remain in contact with the working surface. (3) ensure employees do not place jack stands on portions of a vehicle that are not fixed in place.