Crane Operator Slips on Icy Embankment and Dies
A 65-year-old crane operator died in Colorado as the result of a 14-foot (4.26 meter) fall after slipping on a snow-covered embankment.
The operator was attempting to assist co-workers in cleanup operations. When he walked onto an embankment, he lost his footing.
There were no guardrails or protective barriers to catch him and he landed on his back on a large rock at the base of the embankment. He was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Colorado Department of Health recommended that employers:
- Provide PPE for workers exposed to fall hazards
- Develop, implement and enforce a comprehensive written safety program.
- Provide walkways with standard guardrails when employees are required to cross over excavations. In this instance, workers routinely used the earth embankment as an egress route to a box culvert under construction.
