Date of incident: August 2022
Notice of incident number: 2022177720006
Employer: Recreational vehicle park

Incident summary
At an RV park located near a river, a worker was moving a tracked excavator so that additional RVs could be moved onto the site. While the excavator was descending a switchback on a steep, narrow dirt road behind the park, it fell off the road and tumbled down the steep riverbank, landing on its side in the river below. The worker sustained fatal injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Excavator tipped over steep riverbank, trapping worker underwater. The excavator tipped over the edge of the riverbank and rolled approximately 17 m, landing on its side in the water. The cab of the excavator was partially submerged in the river and the worker was not able to escape from it. The cause of his death was drowning.

Contributing factors

• Not following manufacturer’s instructions.
  • The employer did not ensure that the instructions for safe operation of the excavator in its operator’s manual were followed. The manual states that to avoid tipping over, the machine should be kept well back from the edges of excavations and road shoulders, and if working on a road shoulder, to use a signal person. The excavator was being operated near the edge of the riverbank, and a signal person was not being used.
  • In addition, the employer did not ensure that the worker wore his seat belt as specified in the manual. The manual states that whenever an excavator is in operation, the operator should remain seated with the seat belt securely fastened at all times to minimize the chances of injury from an accident. Otherwise, if the machine overturns, the operator may be injured or thrown from the cab.
• Lack of health and safety program and workplace inspections.
  • The employer was a small company with only two workers. It was required to have in place a less formal occupational health and safety program. The employer did not ensure that such a program was implemented in the workplace. The firm also did not conduct regular inspections of its workplace to ensure that prompt action was taken to correct any hazardous conditions.
  • Had the employer conducted such inspections, and implemented a health and safety program commensurate with the risks in its workplace, the hazard of operating machinery on the road adjacent to the steep riverbank might have been recognized and control measures might have been put in place to mitigate the related risks.

Request the full report