Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1320159.015 - 139074 - Unilin North America, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Charlotte

Investigation Summary

On May 25, 2018, an employee was working for a manufacturer of reconstituted wood products. One of his coworkers was operating a Caterpillar CAT 950M wheel loader. The coworker was driving in the wood yard in an area designated for loader activity. The coworker had relieved the employee for break. The coworker had been driving the loader for approximately one hour. He had taken a load of reclaimed fiber from an auxiliary hopper to a fuel pile. He was driving in the wood yard back and forth between the fuel pile and the auxiliary hopper. The employee was returning from break, when he was struck in the head by the wheel loaders empty bucket. He was knocked to the ground, where he was run over by both the front and rear right side tires. His coworker stopped the loader and, thinking that he had run over wood chips, backed up to scoop up the material and clear the road. The wheel loader backed over the employee with both right side tires. The coworker later claimed that he never saw the employee until after he had both run over and backed over the body. He turned off the wheel loader, exited the cab, and called on his two-way radio for help. The employer's internal first responder team and management officials were the first on the scene. First responders initiated CPR and connected an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the employee. Outside emergency services were called. Paramedics, the Mt. Gilead Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, and the county medical examiner were agencies that responded to the call. The employee was pronounced dead at the scene.

Keywords: Backing Up, CPR, Emergency Response, Head, Mech Mat Handling, Run Over, Struck By, Wheel Loader