Experience and Training

Incident Summary:

On March 4th, Ryan was operating a road grader to smooth out a road leading to a logging site.   Ryan was working for his uncle and was apparently not an official employee.  Others on the jobsite saw Ryan sitting in the road grader around 11:45 a.m.  Later, at 12:30 p.m., Chris, the owner passed by and noticed that Ryan was lying on the ground and the road grader was in the woods. Chris checked for a pulse, but he could not find one. Chris then contacted emergency medical services.  The EMTs and a representative from the local sheriff's department arrived at the scene, along with the coroner.  Ryan was pronounced dead.  According to the sheriff's office detective, Ryan accidentally put the road grader in reverse.  He was then thrown from the road grader, and he was caught behind the blade.  

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think operator experience played a role in this incident?  
2. Should all workers receive safety training?
3. How should employees be trained to operate equipment?  
4. Have there ever been people on your jobsite that were not paid employees (e.g. family members or friends of employees)? What are some of the possible consequences of having non‐employees on a job site?  

Take Home Message:

Only trained employees should be on logging sites

All employees should be trained.

Check the SW Center website frequently for new factsheets: http://www.swagcenter.org/resourcesforestryfactsheets.asp

For comments or suggestions, contact Amanda Wickman at amanda.wickman@uthct.edu or by phone to
903-877-5998 or Nykole Vance at nykole.vance@uthct.edu or by phone 903-877-7935.

Created by the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education
11937 US Hwy 271
Tyler, TX 75708
www.swagcenter.org
agcenter@uthct.edu
903.877.5998