Skidsteer death

[J_J]

NIOSH FACE Program: Iowa Case Report 01IA042 | CDC/NIOSH

It is sometimes hard to figure out if something will happen if it has never happened before. It would be difficult to know about all the accidents that have taken place. He was probably being careful with the job, but strapped into a seat, and in just a few seconds, it happened. So sad

 

[chopped]

wow thats a sad story your right I was wondering how it could happen but the article shows a pic that tells it all.Was it mostly because he was 'reaching' up and over to high?Seems like they shear shouldnt be that far off the ground...
Either way.. sad ...

 

[J_J]

The tree shear was to small to cut at the bottom, so he cut up higher, and was probably going to come back and use a chainsaw.

 

[20 20]

Sad accident, but I have to agree with what I read in the report. He was on an incline facing downhill and he had the shear high. The balance of the machine on that incline was off enough to cause this to happen. The shear was also made for 14" diameter trees and this one was 28" diameter{maybe he was in a hurry just trying to get the job done???}. I don't know if there would have been some type of cage door that would have been strong enough to prevent this or not. I think a winch and long cable would have been a much smarter approach to this tree. Skid steers are great pieces of machinery when used the proper way but, they can be very tippy especially facing downhill with a device raised high. Hopefully others will learn from his mistake

 

[doall]

He wasn't cutting the 28" part. He was cutting the limbs where they branched out, the ones his cutter would cut. Got off centered and fell right on the 28" part. Sad for sure, we never know when it's our time.

 

[20 20]

He wasn't cutting the 28" part. He was cutting the limbs where they branched out, the ones his cutter would cut. Got off centered and fell right on the 28" part..

I don't think it really matters what size he was cutting. The position the machine was in and the way it was being used is what caused the accident. I still wonder if there could be a cage door built that would have been strong enough to stop this type of thing from happening? I also noticed the tracks on the machine, I wonder if this gave a false sense of security as far as being not so tippy?

 

[Zxyrthe]

I'm always awestruck by the confluence of conditions that lead to tragedies like this. Hindsight is 20/20 but when you're clipping along in a groove you just don't see things coming. I guess it's safer to "stay out of a groove" and sacrifice some time for the sake of safety??

 

[J_J]

I am thinking that he cut on the up hill side to keep the tree from falling on the skid-steer, not realizing the tipping potential. A friend of mine, grabbed a large bucket of dirt and raised it up and before he could blink/think, he was looking straight down at the ground. If he had not had the seat belt on, he said he would have fallen out the front.

I have that same skid-steer now, and I will be looking out for extra heavy loads, as in wet dirt, etc.

 

[J_J]

I'm always awestruck by the confluence of conditions that lead to tragedies like this. Hindsight is 20/20 but when you're clipping along in a groove you just don't see things coming. I guess it's safer to "stay out of a groove" and sacrifice some time for the sake of safety??

Reminds me of the time I slid down a wet grass hill that I had cut about 300 times before. I dove through the safety levers on my Dixie Chopper as it started to roll off the 4 ft ledge, but the mower still landed on my leg. I learned a hard rule, and that was to never to make a turn downhill.