Dump Box Crushes Worker

A truck driver was crushed to death between the frame and dump box of a dump truck. He had been raising the dump box when the safety over-travel cable joining the truck frame and box got caught on a nut sticking out of an air brake cylinder. The box stopped before it reached the fully-raised position. A space of about 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) was open between the frame and the box. The worker leaned into this space over the rear dual wheels and the frame to release the stuck cable. He apparently thought this would cause the box to continue rising, but instead it dropped suddenly, crushing his head.

After this fatality it was determined the worker had not been aware of all the potential hazards in his work because he had not received safety training or instruction in proper operating procedures. Do you know how dangerous your workplace machinery can be? Do you know how to operate it safely, even when something out of the ordinary happens? When dump boxes, tractor blades, excavator buckets and similar equipment are elevated, they must be blocked prior to any work being carried out beneath them.