Date of incident: October 2021
Notice of incident number: 2021194900056
Employer: Mill machinery service company; wood products mill

Incident summary

A worker visited a worksite to examine an articulating loader that had a broken step and to order parts for the loader. The worker’s service vehicle was parked next to the loader with the broken step. The worker stepped out of his service vehicle and the vehicle unexpectedly moved forward, pinning the worker between the service box of his vehicle and the counterweight of the loader. The worker sustained fatal injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Vehicle in gear, parking brake not applied, and wheels not chocked. When the worker stepped out of his service vehicle, his service vehicle was running (engine on), the vehicle was most likely in drive (forward gear), the parking brake was not applied, and the wheels were not chocked. His vehicle was thus able to move forward, and it pinned him against the articulating loader. Either the worker had his foot on the service brake pedal of his vehicle and released that brake when he got out of the vehicle, or the brake was not applied and when the worker got out of the vehicle, the weight change in the vehicle was enough for the drive gear at idle to overcome the small upward slope the vehicle was on and begin to move forward.

Contributing factors

• Worker not visible to others. The worker was set up in an area away from other mobile equipment for safety reasons. He was by himself and was pinned between his service vehicle and the articulating loader. While he was pinned, the worker was shielded from the view of other workers because he was between the articulating loader and his service vehicle.