Date of incident: February 2022
Notice of incident number: 2022181730002
Employer: Glass repair and replacement company

Incident summary
A worker was emptying a dump truck at a transfer station. The worker moved the control lever to lower the hydraulically raised tilt deck (dump box), but the dump box remained stuck in the elevated position. After trying to lower the dump box for approximately an hour, the worker stood on the truck’s frame, under the raised dump box, and shook it, and the box fell. The worker sustained serious injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Raised load was wedged in place. When the hydraulic cylinder raised the dump box, the piston rod, which extends to raise the dump box vertically, became wedged within the cylinder mount housing (attached to the inside of the dump box to protect the hydraulic cylinder). This wedging was the result of improper installation of the hydraulic dump box and overextension of the piston rod. When the hydraulic control lever was moved in an attempt to lower the raised dump box, the hydraulic fluid drained from the hydraulic cylinder and returned to the reservoir, so the wedged piston rod was the only thing holding up the dump box. When the box was shaken, the piston rod dislodged from the cylinder mount housing, and the dump box fell.

Contributing factors

• Inadequate supervision, training, and instruction. The instruction and training provided by the employer was not sufficient to prevent the worker from going under the raised dump box. The employer had not explained the hazard and risks associated with being under the elevated load without an effective blocking device fitted onto the dump box to prevent the raised dump box from falling.
• Lack of hazard identification and risk assessment. The employer did not identify the hazard posed by the elevated dump box or ensure that the worker was aware of the hazard. The employer did not ensure that the worker understood the inherent danger of being under the elevated dump box or that workers did not approach the truck while the dump box was stuck in the raised position.

Request the full report