Report summary
On July 2, 2018, a 57-year-old property maintenance worker was killed while operating a ride-on industrial sweeper. He was using the sweeper to clean a parking garage. While backing the sweeper, it went into an area with a low ceiling and he was caught between the sweeper and the ceiling.
| Incident Highlights | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 2, 2018 |
| Time | 10:45 a.m. |
| Victim | 57-year-old property maintenance worker |
| Industry/NAICS Code | Residential property manager/531311 |
| Employer | Property management company |
| Safety & Training | Employer provided PPE and on-the-job training |
| Scene | Parking garage |
| Location | Massachusetts |
| Event Type | Crushing |
Contributing factors
Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include:
- Accessible areas with low height clearance;
- Absence of a protective cab on the sweeper; and
- Lack of a comprehensive safety and health program.
Recommendations
Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should:
- Ensure that ride-on equipment without a protective cab are not operated in the vicinity of overhead obstructions.
- Ensure that a job hazard analysis is performed for each task assigned to employees.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive safety and health program that addresses hazard recognition, avoidance of unsafe conditions, and proper use of equipment.
In addition, equipment manufacturers should:
- Adopt and implement the concept of Prevention through Design (PtD) to identify potential hazards associated with equipment and then eliminate these hazards through design changes.
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| Date published: | August 13, 2021 |
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