Man crushed by small yard machine.

[Truckie]

They don’t say what kind of equipment it is other than a small front end machine. The seat safety device was not working.:beatsme

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07119/782056-85.stm

[digger242j]

It's never good to hear about something like this. :(

I'd bet it was a skidloader, and that the seatbelt switch had been bypassed somehow.

I know of a NH 555 that bit the same guy twice, and it's only dumb luck that he's still walking around.

The seatbelt switch went bad, and one of the mechanical types in the company wired a toggle switch in it's place. From then on, all you had to do was flip that switch to get the machine to work, and fastening the seatbelt was no longer required. An inexperienced operator took the machine down a slight slope, with a full bucket of stone, too fast, and with the bucket too high. He ended up with the machine, standing vertical, on top of the house foundation, bucket in the foundation, and himself staring down at the basement floor. I don't know how he held on. Had he gotten killed, that toggle switch coulda/woulda/(probably)shoulda put the company out of business.

The next time that machine went in for service, that problem was repaired.

The same guy, a few years later, was switching from forks to bucket, and failed to fully disengage the one locking mechanism. Instead of doing the right thing, he slid down in the seat, seatbelt still fastened, and attempted to kick it open with his foot. In the process, he bumped the pedal, and lowered the bucket on his leg. A couple of more inches, and he'd have taken it off. He did take about six weeks off of work. (BTW, this is the same guy I was referring to when I asked the question about whether you run skidders with the throttle wide open at all times, or not. I don't know for sure, but I'll bet you that he didn't bother to idle it down when he performed that trick either.):rolleyes:

I told him the next time I saw him that if he worked for me, I'd fire him.

[Truckie]

Damn is he that stupid or just that lucky.
That is one person who is a fatality waiting to happen. Steer clear of him.

[dirthog]

New this young man quite well worked with him a lot on coal jobs his family owned he had a twin brother too yould have to be very hard on him too. They are very nice people and good to work for too that's what makes it even worse