We had a grade checker killed Friday

[Dozerboy]

It wasn't on my job and this only being my second week I didn't know the guy. We had a big meeting at the site this morning we saw where it happened none of the big wigs are pointing any fingers, but a few hints where dropped. A greener operator was falling behind spreading dirt that rock trucks where bringing in running an old wheel dozer a little bigger than an 815 Cat. He went to the top of a hill to get a dozer hands help. It sound like when he put it in reverse it died and started to role backwards down a ~10% slope. In a panic the operator yelled at grade checker to move, but he didn't hear him and was hit.

Here (http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12/17/news/californian/murrieta/21_20_5312_16_06.txt) is a link to a short article.
I know a lot of you guy ain't green so know this, but has an operator if you ever get into trouble put your attachments on the ground. And if you’re on the ground never turn your back on what’s going on around you. Those 2 things a man his live, his wife a husband, and a boy his dad.

[rino1494]

What a shame.

I was grading up and down on a steep slope and my grademan was standing at the bottom right in line with my dozer. I stopped the machine and told him to never stand in line with me on a slope. I wish that people would be a little more educated about things like this.

[544D10]

Sorry to here, so sad so close to Christmas.....But never is the right time.

Never ceases to amaze me what people do around equipment. I am always telling people to not walk under suspended loads and to not approach from the rear to talk, ect.

What are the braking/emergency braking systems like on the machine involved? Our’s are what is called “spring over hydraulic” which means that once the engine dies all hydraulic pressure is lost and the internal springs in the trans lock the output shafts....

[Dozerboy]

I think the brakes where air, but I don't for sure. Know they did work though, but this older stuff doesn't stop well even if they do work. The machine is being torn down and inspected several of our guy are taking it hard. I just found out today this is the 2nd guy to get killed on this job. We seem to have a lot of new hands (green) on this job. The last guy was killed when we was thrown out of a water truck and ran over.

[544D10]

Yea we have some old machins that have brakes like what you are describing, before the Hydrostatic trans came out our machines had drum brakes that worked ok when the motor was on, but when it wasnt running it took everything you had to stop.

I remeber reading about the last one now that you mention it. Was in our local newspaper afew months ago. Believe it was a passenger in the truck and not the driver???---> http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/09/26/news/californian/murrieta/22_14_419_25_06.txt

[Dozerboy]

Yep that was it

[digger242j]

It's always tragic when someone loses their life, but this is a good time to repeat what Dozerboy said; something I believe to be very basic, and I'm only saying it because it's something you must never forget--The operator is responsible for safely operating his machine, meaning not hurting anyone on the ground with it, but at the same time, the guy on the ground is responsible for knowing exactly what's going on around him at all times with the equipment. An unsafe operator, or a faulty machine might get the blame, but the guy who failed to be totally aware of the equipment will get the funeral.