FACEValue: Mechanic crushed by dozer

Case report: #13-MA-002-01
Issued by: Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program

A 70-year-old heavy-equipment mechanic was fatally crushed while lowering a dozer. The victim had worked as a diesel and heavy mechanic for many years. On the day of the incident, the victim had finished replacing the dozer’s track adjuster and was lowering it back onto the track when the dozer shifted and fell off the bottle jack and onto the victim. Co-workers called emergency medical services and started to free the victim by jacking the dozer up. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he died three days later. The medical examiner listed the cause of death as blunt force injuries of the abdomen and lower extremities.

To help prevent similar occurrences:

• Never place any portion of your body under a load supported only by a jack.
• Ensure two people are assigned to tasks involving lifting and lowering of heavy equipment – from beginning to end.
• Ensure equipment is visually inspected prior to each use, including inspecting safety warning labels to check that they are legible.