Rotschy Inc. is facing just over $170,000 in fines after a 3,000-pound excavator bucket fell off the arm of a machine and crushed a worker at a southwest Washington jobsite.
The employee was working inside a trench box and giving hand signals to the excavator operator when the bucket detached, crushing the lower half of his body. The operator attempted to lift the bucket using the hydraulic arm, but it slipped and struck the worker a second time. Firefighters rescued the employee, who spent more than a month in the hospital with severe injuries.
Vital safety device missing
L&I’s investigation found two excavators at the Woodland, WA jobsite, both using quick coupler attachments that allow operators to switch buckets without leaving the cab. The quick couplers on both machines were missing the required safety latch designed to prevent a bucket from falling due to operator error or equipment failure.
“Quick couplers are standard in the industry, but removing the safety latch from them certainly isn’t,” said Craig Blackwood, Assistant Director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. “These actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the rules designed to keep workers safe. This young man’s life will be forever impacted by this entirely preventable incident.”
The site superintendent and supervisor told L&I they were aware the latches were missing. A maintenance employee also reported seeing missing safety latches on quick couplers over the past year. When Rotschy inspected its fleet after the incident, 13 additional excavators were found without the required latches.
Safety Violations Continue
L&I found other hazards at the site, including the lack of a safe walkway across the trench. The supervisor allowed workers to jump across the 10-foot-deep trench instead. There was also no cave-in protection around an upright sewer manhole inside the trench.
In total, L&I issued two willful serious, two repeat serious, and two serious violations totaling $170,136. Rotschy will be added to the Severe Violator’s list and face increased scrutiny.
L&I also opened a second inspection after concerns about potential confined space hazards involving the sewer manhole. That inspection resulted in five serious confined space violations and an additional $13,770 in fines issued on November, 10.
A serious violation is one that could cause serious injury or death; a willful violation means the employer knew or should have known the rules but failed to follow them. Rotschy is appealing all citations and fines.
Money collected from fines goes into the workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, which supports workers and families of those who have died on the job.
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