Ear Plugs

[MikePA]

A local construction worker was run over by a asphalt filled tri-axle dump truck yesterday. She was standing to the rear of the truck when the accident happened. The investigators have determined the backup warning signal was working on the truck and the worker was wearing ear plugs. The investigation is not over. Not only should ear protection be worn, but also the right ear protection for the environment you're working in. In this case, it was a paving job on a somewhat busy stretch of highway. BTW, I love my Pro Ears. Hearing protection and I can still hear sounds around me plus listen to the radio. I honestly can not think of a situation where I would not want to hear what was going on around me.

 

[beenthere]

I certainly couldn't say what happened, as to why the worker didn't hear the truck coming. But when being around a construction site nowadays, it is one steady drone of "beep - beep - beep - beep". Some might get so used to it that they totally ignore where it is coming from. Makes one wonder if the monotony of it all wouldn't breed a mind-set that just might cause one to totally ignore the sound. Somewhat like hearing the alarm go off in the morning, and incorporating that sound into a dream, until someone nudges you and reminds you to shut off the alarm.
Unfortunate accident.

 

[rancar]

Mike.....

<font color=blue>The investigators have determined the backup warning signal was working on the truck and the worker was wearing ear plugs.</font color=blue>

How is the construction worker.....did she survive? Working in this field with the NYS Department of Transportation, our highway maintenance workers are trained carefully in appropriate procedures for re-directing traffic and establishing perimeters for work zones. This is a dangerous job and while my intent is not to make light of this unfortunate and tragic incident, the investigators may conclude that it wasn't the ear plugs that were the problem but possibly negligence on the part of the construction worker. Could be she was thinking on other things, she lost focus and concentration of where she was, and basically found herself standing in the wrong spot. Things like this happen here in NY but mostly in situations where the maintenance worker who's directing traffic gets just a little too far in the travel lane and in the path of moving traffic.

Bob

 

[MikePA]

Unfortunately, she was killed (the tarp that hid the body was draped over the tire on the forward most rear axle of the dump truck). Since it was a paving job, I'm a bit confused how she was run over. The dump truck was backing up to a paving machine and she was behind the truck. Very sad. The dump truck driver was hospitalized since he was so distraught. The person who was killed worked for the construction company doing the paving. The dump truck driver was a subcontractor. Here's a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ydr.com/main/news/1main1020524.shtml>link</A> to the story.

 

[rancar]

We have tragic deaths like this from time to time in New York....this is so unfortunate /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif. A little care in becoming familiar with what's going on around her may have prevented this. This is an important lesson for tractor owners as well. Always remain alert.....if you're tired or drowsy, don't drive that tractor.

 

[MikePA]

OSHA, along with the local police, are investigating. The worker was married and had 3 young children. According to the article in today's paper, she was a paving inspector for the construction company. She was wearing a hard hat, ear plugs as well as a reflective vest. Sadly, this will be a Memorial Day all the people involved will not forget.

 

[dmccarty]

MikePA,

We had a similar accident a few years ago during one of the hurricane
cleanups. There was a crew working with a bulldozer cleaning up
downed trees. One of the crew went missing. They knew he had
not left the site but they could not find him. Eventually they did
find him....

He had gone to take a poop and had squated in the stump hole from
a downed tree. The trunk had already been cut from the tree and
the dozer pushed/backed into the stump that was 90 degrees to the
ground. The stump went back into its hole and buried the guy which
killed him. It took them a few hours to find him....

Later...
Dan

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - Very sad story. She was probably able to hear the backup alarm with the ear plugs in, but it was no longer loud enough to inform her of the proximity of it.

Dan - I knew a guy working on a pulpwood crew who went into a stump hole "to look at something", he said - others said it was to answer a call of nature and he was too embarassed to admit it. Anyway, while he was "looking at something", somebody else cut enough of the trunk of the tree off that there wasn't enough weight left to hold the dirt ball up out of the ground, so back it went with a snap. Fortunately, all he suffered was a pinned and very bruised leg - and quite a bit more injury to his pride. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Bet he never thought anything inside a stump hole was interesting enough to go "looking" again...