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NIOSH Publication No. 2004-107:Preventing Injuries When Working with Hydraulic Excavators and Backhoe Loaders |
November 2003 |
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SummaryWorkers who operate or work near hydraulic excavators and backhoe loaders are at risk of being struck by the machine or its components or by excavator buckets that detach from the excavator stick. NIOSH recommends that injuries and deaths be prevented through training, proper installation and maintenance, work practices, and 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 346 deaths associated with excavators or backhoe loaders during 1992–2000 [NIOSH 2002]. Review of these data and of NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) cases [NIOSH 2000, 2001] suggests two common causes of injury: (1) being struck by the moving machine, swinging booms, or other machine components; or (2) being struck by quick-disconnect excavator buckets that unexpectedly detach from the excavator stick. Other leading causes of fatalities are rollovers, electrocutions, and slides into trenches after cave-ins. Case Study 1A 28-year-old laborer died after he was struck by the bucket of a hydraulic excavator. The victim, a coworker, and the operator were using an excavator equipped with a quick-disconnect bucket to load concrete manhole sections onto a truck. The victim was on the ground to connect the manhole sections to the excavator while the coworker was on the truck to disconnect the sections after they had been loaded on the truck. The operator had positioned the excavator bucket near a manhole section while the victim attached a three-legged bridle to the manhole section for lifting. The bucket disconnected from the excavator stick (Figure 1) and struck the victim. He was pronounced dead at the scene [NIOSH 2001]. Case Study 2A 32-year-old construction laborer died after being struck in the head by a backhoe bucket. The victim was part of a two-man crew clearing earth away from the foundation footing of a house. The backhoe operator began digging an approximately 2-ft-wide by 2-ft-deep excavation around the foundation while the victim used a hand shovel to remove extra earth after the backhoe had passed through. The amount of footing protruding was decreasing. The operator lowered the backhoe’s bucket to rest on a pile of earth approximately 8 ft from the victim; he then dismounted from the backhoe to inspect the trench. When the operator returned to the machine and stepped over the tire to sit down, he inadvertently contacted the boom swing control, swinging the boom toward the victim standing in the trench. The boom struck the victim, pinning him against the house. He was pronounced dead at the scene [NIOSH 2000].
ControlsEmployers should take the following steps to protect workers from injury while working with excavators or backhoe loaders. Site Set-Up
Equipment Operators
Other Site Workers
AcknowledgmentsThe principal contributors to this publication were Virgil J. Casini and Paul H. Moore, NIOSH Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV. ReferencesCFR. Code of Federal regulations. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register. NIOSH [2000]. Construction laborer dies after being struck in the head by backhoe bucket—North 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 2000–26. NIOSH [2001]. Twenty-eight-year-old laborer dies after being struck by excavator bucket—North 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 2001–09. NIOSH [2002] Unpublished review of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The 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/faceweb.html To receive more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at: NIOSH
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