On May 23, 2012, a 36 year-old foreman with about 9½ years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. He was operating an excavator on a dike separating two ponds. The ground beneath the excavator tracks failed and the excavator toppled into one of the ponds.
Best Practices
- Examine work areas to identify all hazards and remediate before starting any work.
- Evaluate the stability of the ground (slopes and berms) prior to operating equipment near any drop off or edge.
- Always be attentive to changes in ground conditions and visibility when operating machinery.
- Perform the work at a safe distance away from the edge of a pond or where the stability of the ground may be unknown.
- If a potential hazard is present, use long reach equipment to limit exposure and maintain a safe distance away.
- Consider areas that have experienced previous slope failures to be unstable and do not approach until the area is evaluated for stability.
- Wear flotation devices where there is a danger of falling into water.
- Be alert to changes in ground conditions such as cracking, bulging, sloughing, undercutting, and erosion.
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