Laborer Killed after being Struck by a Slab of Concrete that had been Lifted

New Jersey Case Report: 12NJ021
Release Date: September 3, 2013

The following report is the product of our Cooperative State partner and is presented here in its original unedited form from the state. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the individual Cooperative State partner and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

SUMMARY

A 19-year-old male Hispanic laborer was killed after a 58-x 48- x 5-inch, 1200-pound slab of concrete struck his head. The incident occurred at a residential, northern NJ neighborhood sidewalk. On the day of the incident, a four-member crew was attempting to re-grade the ground beneath a concrete sidewalk. To access the area for grading, the sidewalk slab was connected by a chain to the bucket of a skid-steer loader in order to lift it. According to the crew, the victim had knelt down while the slab was being moved. The slab swung and struck the victim in the head. The victim suffered massive blunt force trauma injuries, including a fractured skull. He died minutes after the injury.

Laborer Killed after being Struck by a Slab of Concrete that had been Lifted [PDF 1.08 MB]