Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: Cement Finisher Dies After Being Crushed Against Doorway by Cement Truck Chute in North Carolina

摘要

A 32-year-old male cement finisher (the victim) died after being crushed against a temporary doorway by the chute of a cement truck. The victim was a member of a 4-man crew patching holes in a 5-acre warehouse floor. A temporary doorway had been cut in the warehouse wall for access. The cement truck backed up to the doorway in a manner that allowed the dispensing chute to extend through the door. The chute was located approximately 22 feet from one side of the 8- foot-wide by 10- foot-high doorway. Two crew members stood on each side of the chute as concrete was dispensed into a backhoe bucket. The victim was located on the side of the chute nearest the doorway. While the concrete was being dispensed, the bridge wheels above the chute began to drop. As the carriage for the bridge wheels struck the chute, it pushed the chute toward the doorway. The chute struck the victim and pinned him against the doorway slightly above waist level. The other crew members pushed the chute away from the victim and freed him while workers summoned the EMS from a construction trailer. When the emergency medical service (EMS) arrived, the victim initially refused treatment, but was convinced by EMS personnel to go to the hospital to be checked out. The victim was released from the hospital, but collapsed later in the afternoon and was taken to the hospital a second time.