BACKGROUND: A grapple skidder operator was skidding timber from the woods to the landing one day in the South. Weather was not a factor in the accident.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The logger was 37 years old and in good health. He had been employed by his company for eight years. He was a careful and fully trained woods worker. He had no record of previous accidents.
UNSAFE ACT OR CONDITION: The exact cause of this accident is unknown because there were no witnesses. The operator’s co-workers assume the man ran over a stump or drove through a sink hole or small ditch. He was not wearing a seat belt or hard hat. Crew members believe he was in a hurry to get wood to the landing and had failed to take into consideration surrounding ground conditions such as stumps, sink holes, or small ditches.
ACCIDENT: When the skidder was jarred, the man hit his head against the skidder cab. A crew member found him slumped over in the cab of the machine unable to move his lower extremities.
INJURY: By the time he arrived at the hospital, the man was paralyzed below the neck. After a while he regained use of his extremities, but still experienced numbness in his fingers and trouble with his balance while standing for some time. Doctors expected the worker to recover completely but estimated he would be unable to work for up to eight weeks.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CORRECTION: Mobile logging equipment operators must wear their seatbelts. Operators should consider wearing hard hats while operating their equipment; many insurance companies require this precaution. Professional logging equipment operators familiarize themselves with new or rough ground and potential hazards before operating their machines over the ground. Work practices can be safe without sacrificing productivity. Hurried work on a logging job inevitably leads to accidents. Slow down! Work smart! Be safe!
Courtesy of the Forest Resources Association: https://www.forestresources.org/