Worker crushed when containers fell from utility trailer
Date of incident: November 2019
Notice of incident number: 2019158880010
Employers: Landscaper (sole proprietor); Government of Canada agency; de-icing solution distributor
Incident summary
A landscaper working at a federally regulated worksite was preparing to repair a leaking valve on a 1000 L container (also referred to as a tote) filled with de-icing fluid (solution). The container weighed approximately 1000 kg and was on top of an empty 1000 L container that was situated on the deck of a utility trailer. The worker stepped onto the trailer, causing the trailer to tip. The containers toppled as a result and fell onto the worker, causing fatal injuries.
Cause
- Unsecured load on unstable trailer. The worker was crushed by an unsecured, top-heavy load (the full 1000 L container, filled with de-icing solution, stacked on top of the empty 1000 L container) that fell when the trailer was destabilized. The unsupported trailer was destabilized when the worker stepped onto the rear of the trailer deck.
Contributing factors
- Inadequate hazard analysis. The trailer lacked drop-down legs designed to stabilize the rear of the trailer. The rear of the trailer was not supported, nor was the trailer hitch connected to a vehicle. The hazard of placing a top-heavy load onto a single-axle trailer that was not hitched to a vehicle or supported at the rear was not identified. Placing weight high above the axle created a significant tipping hazard to the worker and other workers at the worksite. The site supervisor and another worker employed by the federal agency, as well as the driver who delivered the de-icing solution, did not identify the tipping hazard of the trailer once the top container was filled with fluid.
- Lack of oversight at federal workplace. The worker, as an independent owner-operator, worked without supervision at the worksite. Supervisors employed by the federal agency did not oversee the worker’s activities to ensure the activities were conducted safely. The worker told the site supervisor and another federal employee that he was going to stack the 1000 L containers and fill the top container with de-icing solution. There was no scrutiny of those intentions to ensure that they would not negatively affect site safety.
2021-04-22 20:42:33