Lineman worker for Asplundh Construction Company electrocuted to death while changing out a utility pole in Romulus subdivision of Detroit, MI

Romulus subdivision of Detroit, MI

A line worker was apparently electrocuted this morning while changing out a utility pole in Romulus subdivision.

Authorities are still trying to piece together exactly what happened shortly after 11 a.m. at Grover and Mary streets, near the intersection of Wick and Wayne roads.

"It was a routine pole change. They were changing out a pole. We don’t know exactly what occurred yet," Romulus Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Krause said.

Krause said the man, who lived out-of-state, worked for a contractor for DTE Energy, Asplundh Construction. The company is based in Pennsylvania.

“We were saddened to learn of a tragic accident Wednesday morning involving a lineworker employed by Asplundh Construction Company, which was performing work for DTE Energy in Romulus," DTE Energy spokeswoman Randi Berris said in an e-mailed statement. "The safety of our employees – including our supplier family – is our No. 1 priority at all times.

"We are working with Asplundh and local authorities to investigate the cause of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the worker's family and co-workers during this extremely difficult time."

Emergency workers were able to immediately access the man and attempted to resuscitate him.

"When we arrived, the scene was safe," Krause.

The man was pronounced dead at Beaumont Hopsital, Wayne. No one else was injured.

Krause said officials from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health administration and other agencies are on the scene investigating. Krause said the fire department sends its condolences to the worker's family, his company and the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).



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A DTE Energy contractor was killed in an accident Wednesday morning while working in Romulus.

The fatality involved a contract line worker for Asplundh Construction Co. and DTE is investigating the cause of the accident.

Randi Berris, DTE manager of communications said the worker was not a DTE employee, but part of a contracted team. Berris said she is unsure if the worker’s family has been notified and no further information will be released until then.

Romulus Police Department said no information is available yet on the worker, where the accident took place, cause or other injuries.

DTE released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying:

“We were saddened to learn of a tragic accident Wednesday morning involving a line worker for one of our contractors working in Romulus. The safety of our employees – including our supplier family – is our No. 1 priority at all times. We are working with local authorities to investigate the cause of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the worker’s family and co-workers during this extremely difficult time.”



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Asplundh Construction has a long history providing electric construction and maintenance services throughout the U.S. Our team provides your operation with field services, project management and work management expertise. We pride ourselves on solving our customer’s greatest problems while working hand-in-hand with an open relationship.

Our electric services focus on the following areas:
- Distribution
- Transmission
- Substation
- Lighting and Signalization
- Emergency Restoration

Electric Distribution:

Our highly skilled workforce along with our project controls and job tracking differentiate us from our competitors. We complete our projects on time or ahead of schedule with rigorous quality controls, never sacrificing the safety of our employees or the public in the process.
Some of our services include:

- Overhead construction and maintenance
- Underground construction and maintenance
- Joint trench / multiple utility installation
- Transformer installation for industrial customers
- Underground cable replacement
- Line upgrades, re-conductoring and other modifications
- Concrete encased duct
- Project and construction management
- Relocations associated with roadway improvements
- Make-ready work for communication infrastructure
- Lighting installation and maintenance
- Directional boring
- Network Services

Electric Transmission:

ACC provides transmission construction and engineering services for all voltages. ACC has built and maintained transmission configurations for thousands of miles, structures and foundations, for virtually every size, locale and topography. Our transmission construction and maintenance services include:

- Line construction
- Line maintenance, rebuild, upgrade, relocation and inspection
- Hot stick construction
- Bare-hand live-line maintenance work
- Renewable Energy Interconnections
- Energized Phase Raising
- Voltage Upgrades
- Grounding resistivity testing
- Counterpoise installation
- System reliability improvements
- Fiber optic installations
- Emergency service restoration
- Project and construction management

Substation:

Asplundh Construction is one of the safest and most responsive utility services companies in the country. We provide industry-leading substation engineering, construction, relay metering and controls, and equipment system testing for everything from traditional power substations to merchant wind farm collection systems. Our Substation services include:

- Site Preparation, Foundations and Fencing
- Construction with lattice, tubular and I-beam steel
- Rebuilds and upgrades
- Transformer retrofits and retrofills
- Substation and grounding resistivity testing and commissioning
- Battery bank installation, testing and maintenance
- Concrete bank installation, testing and maintenance
- Control cable installation and terminations
- Control panel installation and wiring
- Programmable logic controller installation
- Substation maintenance
- Apparatus installation, maintenance and testing
- Switchgear maintenance, replacement and testing
- Material and equipment procurement
- Project and construction management
- Emergency storm restoration

Lighting and Signalization:

Asplundh Construction leverages it size and electrical expertise to provide roadway lighting and traffic signalization services to State Departments of Transportation, as well as municipal, cooperative and investor-owned utilities. Our services include:

- Roadway lighting construction and maintenance
- Luminaire conversions – HID/LED/Energy Efficient
- Fault locating / repair of underground and aerial services
- Street light pole painting, inspection and voltage testing
- Storm restoration
- High mast, bridge, under-deck, and shoulder lighting
- Upgrade/retrofit/pole replacement projects
- Airport and navigational
Signalization
- Design-build projects
- Traffic signal construction and maintenance
- Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
- Arterial Dynamic Message Signs (ADMS)
- Traffic Incident Management Systems (TIMS)
- Fiber optic and wireless communication systems
- Overhead sign structures, ground mount signs and guardrail
- Pedestrian walkways and ADA ramps

Emergency Restoration:

Responsiveness should not be relegated to crisis situations alone – it is critical for our profession every day. Our ability to respond at a moment’s notice – and often be on the scene long before a situation escalates – is a hallmark of our company. As we see it, mobilization of skilled teams is what we do, and working safely to preserve or restore power is what we do best. Our emergency storm planning and restoration services include:

- Rapid response 24/7 at our toll-free number 1-866-635-3422
- Crew requirements may be emailed to acc-storm@asplundh.com
- Logistics support
- Real-time GPS fleet tracking through our AVMS Live system
- Storm damage assessment and patrolling
- Pre-planning assistance
- Our safety professionals are engaged from start to finish

Gas Construction, Maintenance and Support Services:

ACC prides itself on safe, innovative, high quality and cost-effective solutions for utilities, municipal authorities and commercial entities. Our customers benefit from our problem-solving ability that helps make them successful. We provide gas services that range from any size construction project to all maintenance tasks, as well as project support services.

Construction
- Natural gas pipelines
- Gas distribution mains and services, including low pressure conversions, tapping and line stopping services, and live gas tie-ins
- Bare main replacement
- Regulator station installation
- Trenchless technologies including directional drilling, boring and small-hole vacuum excavation

Maintenance
- Proactive service replacement
- Leak detection and repair
- Gas distribution asset inspection, maintenance and repair, including valve inspections and cathodic protection systems
- Meter and regulator replacements, including appliance re-lights
- Trenchless technologies including directional drilling, boring and small-hole vacuum excavation

Process Support Services
- New construction builder/developer call centers
- Project management and work management
- Design and mapping
- Material logistics support
- Joint trench construction coordination

Engineering and Design

Asplundh Construction’s Engineering and Design team has over 250 employees providing innovative design solutions to utility customers throughout the U.S. Our experienced and knowledgeable team builds long term relationships by providing the highest quality deliverables, on-time performance and daily project updates. The following are our areas of focus and services:

- Electric and Gas Distribution
- Transmission and Substation
- Pole Replacement and Loading
- Commercial / Residential

Electric and Gas Distribution Design:

Our customers represent a broad range of groups including electric and gas utilities, governmental entities, municipalities, and industrial companies. We provide all types of support from new capital projects and programs, maintenance initiatives and new business services. The following are some of our Distribution services:

- Re-conductor of overhead lines - Gas main replacement
- Cable replacement - Pressure conversions
- Overhead and underground relocations - New gas services
- Voltage conversions - Cathodic protection
- Overhead to underground conversion - Joint trench design
- Vault and manhole asset inventory
- Pole attachment programs
- Pole replacement programs
- Heavy underground construction and maintenance

Transmission and Substation Design:

Asplundh Construction provides transmission and substation design services including line design, structures and foundation, loading, distribution substation planning and project related services. Our experienced team has the capability to provide the following value added services:

- Line routing and survey studies
- Foundation design
- Structure analysis and design
- New distribution substation planning
- Renewable energy integration
- Permitting services
- Loading analysis
- Line inspection

Poles:

Asplundh Construction has designed and managed some of the largest pole loading and replacement projects in the United States. We can manage all aspects of the programs from start to finish, helping our customers remain compliant with stringent regulatory requirements.
Some examples of our services are:

- Deteriorated pole planning
- Cellon pole planning
- Pole loading calculations
- Pole inventory and attachments

Commercial / Residential Design:

On behalf of our customers, we provide coordination, project management and design services for electric and gas commercial and residential developments and services. Our team has extensive experience in new construction and maintenance of residential developments including joint trench.
Our services include:

- New commercial development design
- Residential tract planning and design
- Electrical upgrades
- Streetlight design
- Transformer and phase loading analysis

Civil:

Asplundh Construction can provide a wide variety of civil construction services. Our experienced management team builds on its expertise to bring new low-cost solutions, best industry practices and efficient technologies to our customers.

Construction
- Site preparation, including excavation, clearing and grading
- Conduit system installations
- Manhole and vault installations
- Pier foundation construction
Lighting and Signalization
- Airport and runway lighting
- Intersection rebuilds and new construction
- High mast and low mast roadway lighting
- Fault locating and repair

YOU LIE, YOU LOSE: Philadelphia Fire Department Captain Yolanda Stallings is accused of insurance fraud after she falsely reported her SUV stolen and later filed a claim for $18,500.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS)–Yolanda Stallings was an up-and-comer in the Philadelphia Fire Department.

The website, which we’re told is in need of an update, calls her an “Executive Chief of Strategic Planning”. It shows the 14-year-veteran “…is the first African American female to serve on the PFD Executive Team as a high ranking official.”

There’s even a promotional YouTube video showing the challenges she’s faced.

On June 27, Yolanda Stallings was arrested for a series of charges by a detective with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, including theft by deception, fraud, forgery, false swearing and false reports.

The charges are based on an insurance fraud investigation, according to sources, where it’s alleged Stallings reported her SUV was stolen and later filed a claim for $18,500.

But arson investigators, according to CBS3 sources, later found it torched in Washington, D.C.

Police sources claim she changed her story numerous times. Sources say Stallings can be placed at the scene through evidence.

Nobody answered at Stallings Northeast Philadelphia home, and numerous calls to her attorney, Tariq El Shabazz were not returned. A message was also left on her personal cell phone, which was not immediately returned.

The Philadelphia Fire Department confirms Stallings is no longer an executive chief, but now a captain. They said that happened during an internal restructuring several months ago.

We caught up with Commissioner Adam Thiel. He was at a quarter meeting at the fire academy. He said the charges filed against Stallings are a personal matter for her and that staffing levels would be adjusted according to the department’s bargaining agreement.

Stallings was charged last month, but the case remained quiet until sources tipped us off. The charges have already been held over for trial and Stallings faces a formal arraignment next month.

She is free on $5,000 unsecured bail.



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A paramedic captain in the Philadelphia Fire Department was arrested last month and charged with insurance fraud, court records show.


Yolanda Stallings was previously an executive chief of strategic services, a position she held starting in 2014. Under a reorganization that occurred sometime before February, she was moved from that position to paramedic captain, said department spokeswoman Kathy Matheson.

Stallings, 43, of Northeast Philadelphia, was arrested June 27 and charged with forgery, theft by deception, and related offenses connected to insurance fraud, court records show.

CBS3 first reported the criminal case Tuesday.


Stallings and her lawyer, Tarik El Shabazz, could not be reached for comment.

The CBS3 report said Stallings had reported her SUV as stolen and filed a claim for $18,500. Investigators later discovered that the vehicle had been torched in Washington, D.C.

The TV station reported that Stallings could be placed at the scene through evidence.

Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel would not discuss the case except to say that it was a personal matter for Stallings and that the department must handle the case according to the collective bargaining agreement between the department and union employees, Matheson said.

A biography of Stallings was still on the department’s website Tuesday.

Stallings was appointed a deputy commissioner in June 2014 and was given the title of executive chief of strategic services. She also is identified as executive chief of strategic planning. The website said she began her career as a fire service paramedic.

The fraud case is pending in Common Pleas Court.

Female maintenance worker, 59, seriously injured after falling in an empty water tower at the Dupont Granogue Estate in Montchanin, Delaware.

Woman Falls Inside Granogue Water Tower, Helicopter Rescue

Wednesday, July 19, 2017 01:14PM
MONTCHANIN, Del. (WPVI) -- Authorities say a maintenance worker is in serious condition after falling in an empty water tower in Montchanin, Delaware.

The call came in at 8:25 a.m. Wednesday from the tower at the Dupont Granogue Estate in the 2000 block of Montchanin Road.


Rescue crews arrived to find the 59-year-old worker, who had fallen while performing maintenance work inside the tower.

They secured her in a mobile stretcher.

The spiral staircase inside the tower prevented rescuers from walking her down to the ground level.

So instead they hoisted her in the stretcher to the top of the tower.

Chopper 6 HD was there as a Delaware State Police helicopter arrived and transferred the worker by air from the top of the tower to an ambulance waiting on the ground.

She was taken to an area hospital in serious condition to be treated for head, arm, neck and back injuries.



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Montchanin, DE – 

At approximately 8:25 am this morning, July 19, 2017, New Castle County Paramedics, Wilmington and Talleyville Fire Companies, High Angle Confined Space and Rescue, Delaware State Police helicopter were dispatched to the 2000 block of Montchanin Road for a person fallen in an empty water tower, performing maintenance.

Upon Talleyville Fire Company arrival, they noted the need for further assistance due to the patient being in a water tower. All responding agencies worked together to remove the patient from the water tower. The patient was placed in a rescue basket and hoisted from the water tower by Delaware State Police helicopter. The patient, 59-year-old female, suffered injuries to her head, arm, neck and back.


The patient was transported to Wilmington Hospital via Talleyville Fire Company ambulance accompanied by New Castle County Paramedics. The patient was in serious condition at the time of transport.

New Castle County Police Department are investigating the incident.

FOX RIVER FLOODING: Piles of carpeting, water-soaked furniture and countless household items dotted the lawns of homes closest to the banks of the Fox River in Wisconsin

SILVER LAKE, WI — Piles of carpeting, water-soaked furniture and countless household items dotted the lawns of homes closest to the banks of the Fox River Monday.

Blue portable toilets sat on some residential streets while orange cones and “Road closed” signs blocked others.

Nearly a week after river-swelling rains and heavy flooding swept through Kenosha County, some residents were still cleaning out their homes, hoping for a quick return to normal after some of the worst flooding in recent memory.

Uncertain future

While some homeowners are rolling with the punches, others, like Shaun and Debbie Goshinsky of Salem Lakes, are looking at an uncertain future.

“We lost everything,” said an emotional Debbie Goshinsky. “We’re living out of totes. The water came to the top of the floor-level kitchen cabinets. Everything is ruined, totally ruined.”

The Goshinskys were forced from their home at 7816 Shorewood Drive. The flooding has left the couple homeless.

“I want to keep my home, Debbie said. “My husband’s paycheck goes to pay the mortgage. I have worked three jobs to keep this home. We don’t have money,” said Debbie.

They currently are living with a son and are likely to stay with other offspring in the coming months.

The couple tried to salvage some of their keepsakes, especially items that belonged to Debbie’s mother, who died in February. Piles of water-soaked carpeting, toys and other items were lying on their front lawn.

Walter Ellis, a former volunteer firefighter, was pumping water out of his Silver Lake home Monday, waiting to hear from an insurance adjuster.

“In the 17 years that I’ve been here, the Fox River has never gotten this high,” Ellis said. “It’s flooded two times in eight years, but not to this level.”

The street that winds behind his house remains covered by water. His vegetable garden is underwater. He fears the plants now are contaminated.

“I guess i won’t be eating these zucchini,” he said, pointing to the produce in the garden.

Carpeting, the hot water heater, a freezer, a washer and a dryer were lost.

Red Cross aid centers

The Red Cross has established aid centers in the former Silver Lake Village Hall and at Salem Grade School. Flood victims can pick up bottled water, bleach and cleanup kits. Eligible homeowners will be offered financial stipends to cover some of their expenses. Temporary shelter is available at the school.



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Flooding Destroys All Wisconsin Bank's Cash

Bank's president says the Fed has to replace it


By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 19, 2017 1:17 AM CDT


(Newser) – Flooding last week destroyed all the cash in the vault of a southeastern Wisconsin bank. Fox River State Bank president Keith Polleck won't disclose exactly how much money was ruined, but he says the Federal Reserve will have to replace every dollar, the AP reports. 

Polleck toells WISN-TV that the vault at the bank in Burlington, 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee, is water-resistant but not waterproof. As the Fox River rose above flood stage, water flooded the bank, rising up to 21 inches deep inside the facility. Now that the river is back below flood stage, restoration crews have started to clean up. The bank's documents are drying, though most are backed up electronically.

Construction worker Matthew Heyman, 60, of Grand Rapids, Ohio, was killed after he was struck by a beam when a roof truss collapsed during barn construction in Weston, Ohio

 Matthew Heyman, 60, of Grand Rapids, Ohio (left, of course)

WESTON, Ohio — A 60-year-old man was killed Tuesday in a construction site accident.

Matthew Heyman, 60, of Grand Rapids, Ohio, was struck by a beam at 14109 Weston Road.   Emergency crews were called just before noon Tuesday.

Mr. Heyman was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The incident is being investigated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OHSA spokesman Rhonda Burke said the accident occurred when a roof truss collapsed during construction.

Public records identify the Weston Road property’s owner as Bradley Haas. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

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Emergency crews were called out to a Weston residence just before noon Tuesday after a report of a large wooden beam that fell on a man. The Wood County Sheriff's Office reported the man died in the construction accident.

The man, reported to be Matthew Heyman, 60, of Grand Rapids, was said to be unresponsive at the scene.

Weston EMS was sent out and additional manpower was requested.

An air ambulance was called to the scene, in the 14000 block of Weston Road. A barn was being built on the scene and it appears as if the entire roof framing had collapsed.

The accident is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Wood County Sheriff's Office.

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Noise from construction work on Weston Road that kept residents awake Monday night, won’t happen again, according to town officials.

Residents complained about beeping sounds from trucks backing up into the wee hours of the morning, causing them to lose sleep. The Department of Transportation is working to get a plastic pipe installed under Weston Road (Route 57) in time for the road to be paved before their asphalt plant closes for the season. The plant closes in December every year, but the date changes based on weather in the area.

“Nobody told us in advance there was going to be all-night construction,” said First Selectman Nina Daniel. “We have confirmation that the DOT won’t work overnight again, and we are currently looking for alternative times.”

Multiple Westonites contacted Weston police and the DOT independently. Before there was confirmation of alternative times, residents were told the road work would take place on Weston Road near River Road from approximately 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for the next two weeks.

“They were looking ahead at the rain and they knew they were going to lose some work days so they decided to work overnight,” said Town Administrator Tom Landry. “I called the DOT and said they can’t be doing this at night. They apologized and said they’ll work on another plan to get the road done.”

Both Landry and Daniel said the DOT will likely do construction on Weston Road during the day, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.. Daniel described that timeframe as “times that aren’t during normal sleep hours.”

“I know they want to get the road paved so there isn’t gravel on the road all winter,” said Landry, who added that plowing the road becomes more of a challenge when the road is gravel and not pavement.

One lane of Weston Road will likely be closed while the DOT is working on installing the pipe and paving the road.

“It’s probable that one lane will close and people will have to queue up and stop for a bit,” said Landry. “We’ll have to suffer through any consequences that we’ll face when it comes to lane closures.”

According to the DOT, the work on Weston Road is a $3.3 million state-funded project to place two new culverts under the road to allow water from Kettle Creek to flow in a more efficient manner.

According to Kevin Nursick, DOT Director of Communications, there are currently two “failing” corrugated metal pipes that carry Kettle Creek under Weston Road.

“We’re replacing those pipes with two precast concrete culverts,” said Nursick. “It will allow for more water flow, which is done under strict biological permitting requirements.”

Nursick believes the DOT can still meet the originally scheduled project completion date of July 2018.

While the project of replacing pipes sounds relatively cut-and-dry, there are utilities under the road, he said, that need to be taken into consideration.

According to Nursick, there are 16 electrical conduits in a utility bank located under Weston Road. The utility bank is larger than the DOT expected and the culvert now has to be redesigned.

Based on the original design, the top of the culvert would conflict with the bottom of the utility bank and the culvert needs to be designed so there is no overlap.

“These are things you normally don’t run into,” said Nursick, adding that the utility bank has likely been underground since the 1960s and there weren’t records on how deep it went. “It’s hard to point a finger because these utilities were installed decades ago. The folks that did it are long gone now.”

FATAL BACKOVER WORKER ALERT AT CONSTRUCTION SITES

It is always very sad to see a young man working for a living in the cold weather to die at a construction site.  Please read this safety alert and ensure that your staff implements the recommendations.  

On February 15, 2014, a 26 year old male employee working as a “Swamper” (driver apprentice) for an oil field trucking company, was fatally injured when he was backed over by a co-worker operating a gas engine, 1-ton dually, welding truck. The welding truck was in the process of relocating past winch truck operations on the well site at the time of the incident.

The company was in preparation for a “rig up stage” at a new well drill site. Just prior to the incident, the welding truck driver and the winch truck employees of the same company met and discussed the planned work. All three employees were aware the welding truck would be required to back up from where it was located, and drive past the swamper and winch truck driver’s location.

The Swamper was assisting the winch truck driver in the relocation of mud and water tanks. After the previous meeting, the winch truck driver returned to his truck, and the Swamper assisted in horizontal rigging of the tank to winch equipment. The welder returned to his truck to move it.

At the time of the accident the welding truck driver was operating a truck without benefit of back- up alarm or spotter. As the welding truck driver backed his vehicle up to the new location, the swamper positioned himself along the storage tank being winched.  The swamper stepped backward into the path of the welding truck, the welding truck passed completely over the victim.

The decedent died of his injuries at the scene.

Cause and Significant Contributing Factors:

·         The welding truck driver arrived on site after the morning job safety analysis (JSA) and tailgate safety meeting.

·         All three workers failed to identify the hazards present on location.

·         There were four different diesel engines running in the area of the incident, creating significant background noise. The diesel engine noise and winds diminished the victim’s ability to hear the much quieter gasoline engine of the welding truck.

·         The victim was wearing a hooded sweatshirt under FRC coveralls, which created limited peripheral vision.

·         The victim inadvertently positioned himself in the path of the welding truck to avoid hazards associated with the winching operation he was assisting with.

·         The victim had his back to the driver; the driver had his back to the victim.

·         The driver of the welding truck could not see directly to the rear due to truck design, obstructed view created by the welding equipment and the driver did not ask for a spotter to assist.

·         The gas engine welding truck was never equipped with a back-up alarm.

·         The victim did not offer to be a spotter, and the winch truck driver did not offer to be a spotter.

·         The trucking company did have a vehicle inspection form, but it was used inconsistently.

·         The inspection form did not have a vehicle specific format, or a back-up alarm check.

·         The winch truck driver was likely in transition of view; he was shifting from left side mirror to right side mirror and rear window view of winch process.

Recommendations:

·         Brief all employees on the facts and circumstances of this fatal incident.

·         In accordance with OSHA Construction Standards, properly equip motor vehicles used in construction environments with audible devices that may be heard over other sounds when being backed-up.

·         Revisit safety programs and JSA information to ensure they are applicable to OSHA standards necessary for the work to be performed.

·         Use a spotter when backing equipment near other personnel as required.

·         Utilize high visibility outer garments.

·         Be aware of your surroundings.

·         Avoid wearing clothing or hooded garments which limit your field of view.

·         Use of approved FRC helmet liners is preferred, as they turn with your head.

·         Ensure that pre-tour safety meetings are conducted to discuss the work to be performed, identifying the potential safety hazards and implementing safe work procedures to control hazards.

·         Ensure the safety meeting information is provided to all employees.

Preventing Backovers

A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011. These kinds of incidents can occur in different ways. For example:

On June 18, 2009, an employee was working inside a work zone wearing his reflective safety vest. A dump truck operating in the work zone backed up and struck the employee with the rear passenger side wheels. The employee was killed. The dump truck had an audible back up alarm and operating lights. (OSHA Inspection Number 313225377)

On June 9, 2010, an employee was standing on the ground in front of a loading dock facing into the building while a tractor trailer was backing into the same dock. The trailer crushed the employee between the trailer and the dock. (OSHA Inspection Number 314460940).

The purpose of this webpage is to provide information about the hazards of backovers; solutions that can reduce the risk or frequency of these incidents; articles and resources; and references to existing regulations and letters of interpretation.

How do backover incidents occur?

Backover accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Drivers may not be able to see a worker in their blind spot. Workers may not hear backup alarms because of other worksite noises or because the alarms are not functioning. A spotter assisting one truck may not see another truck behind him. Workers riding on vehicles may fall off and get backed over. Drivers may assume that the area is clear and not look in the direction of travel (PDF*). Sometimes, it is unclear why a worker was in the path of a backing vehicle. A combination of factors can also lead to backover incidents.

What can be done to prevent backover incidents?

Many solutions exist to prevent backover incidents. Drivers can use a spotter to help them back up their vehicles. Video cameras with in-vehicle display monitors can give drivers a view of what is behind them. Proximity detection devices, such as radar and sonar, can alert drivers to objects that are behind them. Tag-based systems can inform drivers when other employees are behind the vehicle and can alert employees when they walk near a vehicle equipped to communicate with the tag worn by the employee. On some work sites, employers can create internal traffic control plans, which tell the drivers where to drive and can reduce the need to back up. In some cases, internal traffic control plans can also be used to separate employees on foot from operating equipment.

Training is another tool to prevent backover incidents. Blind spots behind and around vehicles are not immediately obvious to employees on foot. By training employees on where those blind spots are and how to avoid being in them, employers can prevent some backover incidents. One component of this training can include putting employees who will be working around vehicles in the driver’s seat to get a feel for where the blind spots are and what, exactly, the drivers can see. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) several blind spot diagrams that can help explain what drivers of various large trucks can see.

Vehicles Causing the Most Backover Fatalities 2005-2010+

Dump Truck	67
Semi/Tractor Trailer	40
Truck	30
Forklift	21
Garbage Truck	20
Pick-up Truck	16

Highlights

NEW Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Backing Construction Vehicles and Equipment at Roadway Construction Worksites (PDF*). NIOSH, (2014, June)

Stakeholder meeting [Jan. 8-9, 2013, in Washington, D.C. and Feb. 5, 2013, in Arlington, Texas]. OSHA Trade News Release, (2012, December 17).

Preventing Backovers. Safety Clearinghouses. Provides links to information relating to backover incidents in highway work zones.

Motor Vehicle Safety. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Prevention Video (v-Tool): Struck-by Accidents in Construction. OSHA Video.

ANOTHER BACKOVER DEATH: Worker Donald Ray Moyer II, 51, with Wiest Asphalt Products & Paving was killed when he was struck by a co-worker’s bucking dump truck during a paving project in Jefferson Township, PA

JEFFERSON TWP, PA — Authorities say a 51-year-old Butler area man was killed this morning when he was struck by a co-worker’s dump truck during a paving project.

State police are investigating but they did not release the man’s name. He was part of a crew for Wiest Asphalt Products & Paving.

The victim, who was wearing a bright yellow shirt, was behind a company truck on Great Belt Road in Jefferson Township about 7:30 a.m. when the truck accidentally backed over him, authorities said.

The crew was reportedly paving nearby Becker Road at the time.

Butler County Chief Deputy Coroner John Hanovick pronounced the man dead at 8:30 a.m. An autopsy was planned this afternoon

Hanovick said the preliminary cause of death is listed as massive injuries to the head and chest. 



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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, PA (KDKA) — A road crew worker was killed on the site of a paving project in Jefferson Township Tuesday morning.

It happened around 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Great Belt Road and Becker Road.

State police say 51-year-old Donald Ray Moyer II, of Franklin Township, was part of the paving crew on a roadway paving project.


A work-site vehicle struck Moyer, killing him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further details on the incident have not been released.

The investigation is ongoing.

Recommendations:

·         Brief all employees on the facts and circumstances of this fatal incident.

·         In accordance with OSHA Construction Standards, properly equip motor vehicles used in construction environments with audible devices that may be heard over other sounds when being backed-up.

·         Revisit safety programs and JSA information to ensure they are applicable to OSHA standards necessary for the work to be performed.

·         Use a spotter when backing equipment near other personnel as required.

·         Utilize high visibility outer garments.

·         Be aware of your surroundings.

·         Avoid wearing clothing or hooded garments which limit your field of view.

·         Use of approved FRC helmet liners is preferred, as they turn with your head.

·         Ensure that pre-tour safety meetings are conducted to discuss the work to be performed, identifying the potential safety hazards and implementing safe work procedures to control hazards.

·         Ensure the safety meeting information is provided to all employees.

Preventing Backovers

A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011. These kinds of incidents can occur in different ways. For example:

On June 18, 2009, an employee was working inside a work zone wearing his reflective safety vest. A dump truck operating in the work zone backed up and struck the employee with the rear passenger side wheels. The employee was killed. The dump truck had an audible back up alarm and operating lights. (OSHA Inspection Number 313225377)

On June 9, 2010, an employee was standing on the ground in front of a loading dock facing into the building while a tractor trailer was backing into the same dock. The trailer crushed the employee between the trailer and the dock. (OSHA Inspection Number 314460940)

The purpose of this webpage is to provide information about the hazards of backovers; solutions that can reduce the risk or frequency of these incidents; articles and resources; and references to existing regulations and letters of interpretation.

How do backover incidents occur?

Backover accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Drivers may not be able to see a worker in their blind spot. Workers may not hear backup alarms because of other worksite noises or because the alarms are not functioning. A spotter assisting one truck may not see another truck behind him. Workers riding on vehicles may fall off and get backed over. Drivers may assume that the area is clear and not look in the direction of travel (PDF*). Sometimes, it is unclear why a worker was in the path of a backing vehicle. A combination of factors can also lead to backover incidents.

What can be done to prevent backover incidents?

Many solutions exist to prevent backover incidents. Drivers can use a spotter to help them back up their vehicles. Video cameras with in-vehicle display monitors can give drivers a view of what is behind them. Proximity detection devices, such as radar and sonar, can alert drivers to objects that are behind them. Tag-based systems can inform drivers when other employees are behind the vehicle and can alert employees when they walk near a vehicle equipped to communicate with the tag worn by the employee. On some work sites, employers can create internal traffic control plans, which tell the drivers where to drive and can reduce the need to back up. In some cases, internal traffic control plans can also be used to separate employees on foot from operating equipment.

Training is another tool to prevent backover incidents. Blind spots behind and around vehicles are not immediately obvious to employees on foot. By training employees on where those blind spots are and how to avoid being in them, employers can prevent some backover incidents. One component of this training can include putting employees who will be working around vehicles in the driver’s seat to get a feel for where the blind spots are and what, exactly, the drivers can see. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) several blind spot diagrams that can help explain what drivers of various large trucks can see.

Vehicles Causing the Most Backover Fatalities 2005-2010+

Dump Truck	67
Semi/Tractor Trailer	40
Truck	30
Forklift	21
Garbage Truck	20
Pick-up Truck	16

 

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HOW TO PREVENT VEHICLE BACKOVER INJURIES AND DEATHS

Backing vehicles and equipment are a serious occupational hazard. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, of the 443 struck-by fatalities at road construction sites between 2003 and 2010, 143 cases involved a vehicle or mobile equipment backing up.

To help prevent backover injuries and deaths, NIOSH recommends a number of standard operating procedures:

·         Create and enforce an operating procedure that addresses how to work safely and lists best practices to follow when working near vehicles and other equipment.

·         Establish safety procedures for working at night with backing equipment. Ensure high-visibility apparel is worn.

·         Take precautions. Use equipment that creates minimal blind spots or has proximity warning devices.

·         Before work begins, design the worksites to minimize or eliminate the need for backing vehicles and equipment.

·         Hire a competent person to supervise worksites involving backing vehicles and equipment.

·         Be sure drivers know not to back up equipment unless they are under the direction of a spotter.

·         Use barrels, barricades, cones or reflective devices to guide vehicles and equipment away from workers.

·         Post signs informing workers where it is safe to walk.

NIOSH states that before work begins, vehicle and equipment operators need to inspect their machinery for any issues. Ensure everything, including mirrors and windows, is clear and in good working order. If something is found to be defective, remove the vehicle or equipment from service until repairs are made.

When operating equipment, know its blind spots. If you lose contact with your spotter for any reason, immediately stop work.

NIOSH also notes that clear communication is key. “At the start of each shift, review communications signals (verbal, hand signals, flags) between spotters, machine operators, truck drivers, and workers on foot,” the agency states.

For workers on foot near backing vehicles or equipment, NIOSH recommends employees adhere to the following:

·         Wear appropriate high-visibility personal protective equipment.

·         Know the blind spots of vehicles and equipment you work near.

·         Never approach a piece of equipment or vehicle without a clear signal of acknowledgment from the operator.

·         Avoid areas where vehicles and equipment travel.

·         Stay alert for the sound of reversing alarms.

·         Avoid complacency. Always know your surroundings.