Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: Logger Dies After Falling from Log Skidder in South Carolina

摘要

A 39-year-old male skidder operator (the victim) died after falling from a skidder tire into knee-deep water. The victim was a member of a crew logging a 50-acre tract of swampland. The victim and another operator were operating dual-tire skidders, dragging the logs to the landing to be loaded onto trucks. The victim hauled three logs to the landing, and was preparing to unhook the choker from the third log when the incident occurred. The victim left the cab of the skidder and stepped onto the right-rear dualwheels of the skidder and jumped down to the logs. The second skidder operator, 100 yards away, saw the victim slip and fall into the water trying to climb back up the skidder tire. When the second operator saw that the victim did not stand up, he drove his skidder toward the victim. Due to deep water and heavy brush in the swamp, it took the second operator approximately five minutes to reach the victim. When he reached the victim, he pulled him up on a log and initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The job foreman signaled the loader operator to call 911 from the company truck, then assisted with the CPR. The emergency medical service arrived within 15 minutes and called the county coroner.