Xcavators, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Feb 24, 2022 (fatal): Truck driver dies of skull fracture after falling off ladder

At 6:30 a.m. on February 24, 2022, an employee was working as a driver for a construction firm that built highways. bridges, and structures. He drove heavy trucks. While inspecting a tri-axle dump truck before leaving the yard, he discovered two lights not working on the rear left of the dump bed. One was at a lower position, and the other was approximately 9 feet (2.7 meters) from the ground. He pulled the truck inside the shop and raised the dump bed slightly to lower the light to 8 feet (2.4 meters) from the floor. Another truck driver came to assist the employee with the lower light, while the employee started to work on the upper light. The other truck driver left to get cutters to cut a zip tie on the lower light. He had tried needle-nose pliers but could not cut the zip tie with them. When he returned, he found the employee on the floor bleeding from his head. The employee had fallen and struck the rear of his head on a concrete surface. He suffered a skull fracture. He was hospitalized, but he died from his injuries. It was thought that the employee was on the folding ladder trying to break the zip tie with the needle-nose pliers. When the zip tie was broken, the force of the break caused him to fall backward from the ladder to the floor. The electrical tie was found broken or cut but still wrapped around the original bad light. An erect standing Werner 6-foot (1.8-meter) single-sided folding stepladder was near the back left side of the truck. A pair of needle-nose pliers was on the floor. The zip tie that was still on the light had been cut. The work floor was in good condition. No workers observed the employee on the folding ladder. It was a common practice for operators to replace the lights and use the folding ladder to reach the upper light. The operator would stand on the second rung of the ladder at a height of 2 feet (0.6 meters) to complete this work. Workers interviewed stated that they did not have any issues when they used the folding ladder.