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NIOSH Publication No. 2005-101:Preventing Injuries When Working With Ride-On Roller/Compactors |
November 2004 |
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SummaryWorkers who operate or work around roller/compactors are at risk of injury from a machine rollover or being struck by the machine or its components. NIOSH recommends that injuries and deaths be prevented through wider use of rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts on roller/compactors, training, establishing and adhering to safety plans and safe work practices, and using appropriate personal protective equipment. Description of ExposureA National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) data* identified 282 deaths associated with road grading and surfacing machinery during 1992-2001 [NIOSH 2004]. At least 70 of these deaths involved roller/compactors. Review of these data narratives and of NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) case studies suggests two common causes of injury: (1) machine rollovers and (2) being struck by the moving machine. Two cases are described below. FACE Case Study 1A female highway construction worker died after the roller she was operating slipped off the edge of the road surface, tipped on its side, and pinned her underneath. She had been working for a company that was subcontracted to construct a highway exit ramp. The worker's job was to compact the dirt ramp in preparation for hard surfacing. The roller she used was new and equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS), but no seatbelt. The worker was operating the roller, with the enclosed cab door open, back and forth over a built-up road bed. She backed up near the edge, and the earth under the rear tires gave way. When the roller tipped over the embankment, the unrestrained worker was partially thrown from the open door of the cab and pinned under the ROPS. Emergency rescue personnel were immediately called and arrived at the site within 15 minutes. The worker was pronounced dead at the site [NIOSH 1999]. FACE Case Study 2A male construction laborer died after being run over by a ride-on roller/compactor during a highway paving operation. A seven-person crew was paving two lanes of a four-lane highway. A worker was walking back and forth along the highway, checking the traffic cones positioned along the dotted lines at the center of the highway to ensure that they were standing upright and that the construction-zone warning signs remained standing. As the foreman of the crew operated the paving machine, the ride-on roller/compactor followed behind to compact the newly laid asphalt. The roller operator made a forward pass with the roller, stopped, and then reversed the machine. The machine had traveled approximately 10 feet when the operator sensed that something was wrong; at the same time, a passenger on the roller alerted the operator to stop the roller. The worker was discovered lying face down with his arms at his sides, his head crushed by the roller. Emergency rescue personnel were immediately called and arrived at the site within 15 minutes. The worker was pronounced dead at the site [NIOSH 1998].
ControlsEmployers, manufacturers, and rental establishments should take the following steps to protect workers from injury while working with ride-on roller/compactors. Site Set-Up
Equipment Operator
Other Site Workers
Equipment Manufacturers
Equipment Rental Establishments
AcknowledgmentsThe principal contributor to this publication was Virgil J. Casini, FACE Senior Investigator, Fatality Investigations Team, NIOSH Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV. ReferencesNIOSH [1998]. Construction laborer dies after being run over by asphalt roller at highway construction site–Virginia. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. FACE 98–06. NIOSH [1999]. Female construction worker dies in a compactor tipover at a highway construction site—South Carolina. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. FACE 99–03. NIOSH [2004]. Unpublished analysis of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: special research file provided to NIOSH by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. SAE [1994]. ISO6683—Earth moving machinery—seatbelt and seatbelt anchorages. Troy, MI: Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE [1997]. J386—Operator restraint system for off-road work machines. Troy, MI: Society of Automotive Engineers. For More InformationThe information in this document is based on data, FACE reports, and expert review. More information about the NIOSH FACE program is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/ Additional safety information and recommendations for protecting roadway construction workers can be obtained from NIOSH [2001]. Building safer highway work zones: measures to prevent worker injuries from vehicles and equipment. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001–128. To receive more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at: NIOSH or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to NIOSH eNews by visiting www.cdc.gov/niosh/eNews
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