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engineering technician killed

engineering technician killed

engineering technician killed

(OP)
An engineering technician was killed this past Friday at Plant Bowen (Bartow Co. GA, USA).  The as yet un-named technician from Contour Engineering of Kennesaw, GA was performing an in-place density test when he was struck and run over by the compactor.

RE: engineering technician killed

Did the compactor have "backing up" beeping (signalling)? One of our contractors in China had a worker squashed when the compactor operator ran over him while he was sleeping under the drum in the shade in 44deg C temperature.  Didn't see it but it mustn't have been pretty.

RE: engineering technician killed

This incident underscores the need for communication between the technician and the operator, and for safety meetings to cover procedures for performing in-situ moisture-density testing. Sucky.

Jeff

RE: engineering technician killed

jdonville, indeed safety meetings are very important. BTW, do you think attending regular safety meetings should be mandatory for CMT personnel who will be on the jobsite?

RE: engineering technician killed

Actually, don't most sites have mandatory safety inductions?  Ours do - even if they are in Bahasa Indonesia.

RE: engineering technician killed

Big H, I know many CMT techs and inspectors in the US who have never ever had and training in safety issues.

RE: engineering technician killed

henri2,

In light of how people keep getting killed in easily preventable accidents on construction sites (let alone elsewhere...), I am forced to admit that developing a culture of safety, including bringing the contractor's folks and the inspection folks together for safety meetings, is a reasonable and preferable way to go.

I'm sure the site owner in this case would have happily chosen that route as well.

To prove that I'm not just shooting my mouth off, I have discussed this incident with our VP of testing services and issued a safety memo to all our testing personnel describing the incident and suggesting ways for them to avoid a similar situation.

Jeff

Jeffrey T. Donville, PE
TTL Associates, Inc.
www.ttlassoc.com

The views or opinions expressed by me are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer.

RE: engineering technician killed

Quote (BigH):

...had a worker squashed when the compactor operator ran over him while he was sleeping under the drum in the shade in 44 deg C temperature.
BigH, I really hate to joke about this, BUT......
Aren't we sure the worker was not already dead before being squashed. I mean, I would never manage to sleep in such conditions, if alive.

RE: engineering technician killed

No joke - he was sleeping.  Any shade in that place was welcomed by the workers.  They weren't set up for back-up whistles, etc.  On my job here in operational areas, you have to honk your horn once if you plan to start your car, wait 10 seconds, honk your horn twice, turn on the car and wait 10 seconds before you can move.  Of course, how many do  . . .  

RE: engineering technician killed

Do you have a link to the news article?  I'd like to pass it along to our techs.

RE: engineering technician killed

(OP)
The article appeared in the Daily Tribune in Cartersville, GA (Bartow Co.).  Don't have a link.

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