Worker Fatality by Mechanical Asphyxiation

Description

The driver of a tank truck was unloading fluid at a production facility. The driver was found unresponsive inside the pump box of their truck with their left arm sleeve entangled in the pump shaft. After an hour and 30 minutes of resuscitation efforts by workers and emergency response personnel, the worker was declared deceased from mechanical asphyxiation.

The factory guard that is normally over the pump shaft had been removed, exposing several catch hazards. The guard was in place the previous day.
Post-incident testing of the equipment found no abnormal operating conditions that would have required the guard to be removed.
Evidence indicated that the worker was overtop of the exposed catch hazards, greasing the rear grease point on the pump while the shaft was rotating at 700 revolutions per minute (RPMs).

Life Saving Rules

Energy Isolation

Energy Isolation: I have identified all energy sources I confirm that hazardous energy sources have been isolated, locked and tagged.

Bypassing Safety Controls

Bypassing Safety Controls: I obtain authorization before disabling or overriding safety equipment. I understand and use safety-critical equipment and procedures.

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