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Case No.22


Caught between the truck and the bucket of a drag shovel while carrying out work to unload steel panels
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[Circumstances of Incident]

After delivering a truckload of construction steel panels, etc., ordered by a client, the victim was unloading the panels from the bed of the truck when he was caught between the truck and the bucket of a drag shovel.

The victim arrived at the client site by truck at around 13:00 to deliver a load of steel panels, etc., manufactured by his employer's company.

At the time, a private contractor who was carrying out electrical facility repairs, etc., at the same site came out after his lunch break to help the victim unload the steel panels, etc., by hand.

As the panels were very heavy, they decided to use the bucket of a drag shovel to carry out the unloading work. Because it was difficult to attach a cable to the top of the steel panels, however, they shifted back to unloading by hand. While the victim started to lower the steel panels from the bed of the truck, the private contractor helping him operated a lever to turn the bucket of the drag shovel aside as it was hindering their work.

The man turned the boom of the drag shovel to the left. When the bucket reached the end of the truck bed, it suddenly started swinging to the right, brushing against the victim who was preparing to lower a panel from the truck bed, and trapping him between the bucket and the truck.
[Causes]
1 While the private contractor claimed that he operated the lever only to turn the boom to the left, he was controlling the lever from outside the operator's seat and was almost caught between the boom and the crawler of the drag shovel as the boom turned to the left-causing him to quickly push the lever to the right. Moreover, as he had turned away from the approaching bucket, he undoubtedly pushed the lever farther than intended. These factors are assumed to be the cause of the accident.

2 In addition, the following can also be cited as causes.
(1) No leader was present for the unloading operations
(2) Inappropriate management of the drag shovel
(3) Inappropriate management of the slinging cable
(4) Lack of organization for safety management
[Type of business] Other wholesaler
[Type of accident] Caught
[Number of victims] One fatality
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