Marine Terminal Worker is Run Over

A laborer at a marine shipping terminal was critically injured when he was run over by a trailer being backed onto a barge.

The seagoing barge was being loaded with motor vehicles and trailers bound for another port. The victim was standing in a loading lane to strap down a pickup truck. A trailer was being backed onto the lane. It struck the victim, running over his legs and severely injuring his pelvis. He died seven days later of complications related to the injuries.

Written safety procedures are needed to ensure safe working clearances when unloading and loading barges. Signals and other safety devices must be in proper working order when vehicles and equipment are being moved onto barges. While this incident happened at a maritime facility, similar incidents have occurred on land — in trucking terminals, at loading docks, construction sites, farms and many other workplaces.