Incident Investigation: Out-of-Control Riding Mowers Injure Workers | WorkSafeBC

Summary

The video script highlights the dangers of operating riding mowers on wet, steep slopes without proper safety measures. It recounts three accidents at a golf course, emphasizing the need for a safety program, regular meetings, and risk assessments. The importance of training, supervision, and using mowers with rollover protection is stressed to prevent such incidents, as wet grass and slick tires can lead to severe injuries or fatalities.

Takeaways

• ⚠️ Riding mowers can be dangerous on slopes and without rollover protection systems, leading to serious injuries or fatalities.
• 🌧️ Heavy rain can make grass slick, increasing the risk of mowers sliding and causing accidents.
• 🛴 A young worker suffered a skull fracture after a mower slid on wet grass and fell into a sand bunker, highlighting the importance of tire grip.
• 📉 The same hillside has seen multiple accidents, indicating a recurring hazard that has not been adequately addressed.
• 🚜 Mowers with heavy rollers and treadless tires are particularly prone to sliding on wet surfaces, which is a significant safety concern.
• 👷 Workers have been seriously injured in similar incidents, emphasizing the need for better safety measures.
• 🚫 Experienced operators avoid the dangerous location after heavy rains, suggesting that knowledge sharing is crucial for safety.
• 🔒 The lack of a safety system and communication protocols at the workplace puts workers at unnecessary risk.
• 🛠️ Implementing a safety program, regular safety meetings, and accident investigations can help prevent such accidents.
• 📏 Conducting a rollover risk assessment on golf courses can determine the best equipment and operating procedures for different terrains.
• 🚫 Avoid operating mowers on steep slopes or near drop-offs to minimize the risk of rollovers.
• 👨‍🏫 Training and supervising workers on safe operation procedures and reviewing the operator's manual is essential for safety.
• 💺 Using mowers with rollover protective structures and seat belts can save lives by providing an extra layer of safety.

Q & A

What are the major causes of injuries and fatalities when using riding mowers mentioned in the script?

The major causes are slopes and the lack of rollover protection systems.

How many accidents occurred at the golf course hillside as described in the script?

Three accidents occurred at the location.

What type of tires were on the mower involved in the most recent incident?

The mower had smooth, treadless tires to minimize damage to the greens.

What weather condition contributed to the accidents on the golf course?

Heavy rainfall the night before made the grass slick, causing loss of traction.

What was the outcome of the most recent accident involving a young worker?

The worker was thrown from the mower, which then struck him, fracturing his skull.

What happened in the second accident at the location?

A worker lost traction and the mower rolled onto its side, seriously injuring the worker.

What action did the worker take in the third accident to avoid a worse outcome?

The worker managed to steer away from the drop-off and jumped from the mower before it crashed.

Why did other experienced mower operators consider the location dangerous after heavy rains?

They recognized the risk of accidents due to the slick grass and slopes and chose different routes.

What steps are suggested in the script to prevent such accidents from happening?

Implement a safety program, hold regular safety meetings, investigate accidents, conduct a rollover risk assessment, avoid mowing on steep slopes, train workers, and consider using mowers with rollover protection and seat belts.

What specific safety features for mowers are recommended in the script?

Mowers equipped with rollover protective structures and seat belts are recommended.

What is the final reminder given in the script regarding the operation of mowers?

The reminder is to drive safely and remember that wet grass, steep slopes, and smooth tires don’t mix.

Outlines

00:00

🚜 Tragic Mower Accidents on Golf Courses

This paragraph discusses the severe consequences of operating riding mowers on slopes without adequate safety measures. It recounts three accidents on a golf course, where wet grass and slick conditions led to mowers sliding uncontrollably and causing severe injuries to workers. The first incident involved a young worker whose mower plunged into a sand bunker, resulting in a skull fracture. The second and third accidents also resulted in serious injuries due to loss of traction on wet slopes. The paragraph emphasizes the lack of a safety program, meetings, or processes to share information about the dangerous conditions, and the absence of rollover protection systems in the workplace.

Keywords

💡Slopes

Slopes refer to the inclines or declines of a surface, in this case, the terrain of a golf course. They are crucial in the video because the lack of traction on these slopes, especially when wet, is a significant factor contributing to accidents involving riding mowers. The steepness of the slopes makes it dangerous for mowers to operate, leading to loss of control and potential rollover incidents.

💡Rollover protection systems

Rollover protection systems are safety features designed to protect operators if their vehicle tips over. The absence of these systems in the mowers mentioned in the video is highlighted as a major cause of injuries and fatalities. These systems could have prevented the severe injuries caused by the mowers rolling over on slopes, as described in the accidents on the golf course.

💡Traction

Traction refers to the grip or friction between the mower's tires and the ground. In the video, a loss of traction on wet grass is a recurring problem that leads to accidents. Without sufficient traction, the mowers slide uncontrollably, causing dangerous situations, such as the mower plunging into a sand bunker or crashing into obstacles.

💡Safety program

A safety program is a structured plan implemented by an organization to identify, assess, and mitigate hazards in the workplace. The video stresses the importance of having such a program to prevent accidents like those described. A safety program would include regular safety meetings, risk assessments, and the development of corrective actions to ensure workers are aware of potential dangers and know how to avoid them.

💡Wet grass

Wet grass is grass that is slippery due to moisture, often from rain. In the video, wet grass is a critical factor in the accidents because it significantly reduces traction, making it difficult for mowers to maintain control. The repeated mention of heavy rainfall before each incident underscores how wet conditions exacerbate the risks associated with operating mowers on slopes.

💡Sand bunker

A sand bunker is a hazard area on a golf course filled with sand. In the video, a sand bunker becomes a dangerous trap when mowers, having lost control on wet slopes, plunge into them. The drop into the sand bunker caused severe injuries to the workers when the mowers rolled over or struck them after the fall.

💡Corrective actions

Corrective actions are steps taken to fix or prevent the recurrence of a problem. In the context of the video, these are actions that should be developed and implemented following an accident or near-miss to prevent similar incidents in the future. The video suggests that investigating accidents and implementing corrective actions could have prevented the repeated accidents at the same location.

💡Operator’s manual

An operator’s manual is a guide provided by the manufacturer that explains how to safely and effectively operate equipment. The video emphasizes the importance of workers being trained in safe mower operation, which includes reviewing the operator’s manual. Proper understanding of the manual could help prevent accidents by ensuring that the mower is operated within safe parameters, especially in challenging conditions like wet slopes.

💡Rollover risk assessment

A rollover risk assessment is an evaluation process to determine the likelihood of a vehicle, such as a mower, tipping over on a particular terrain. The video suggests conducting a hole-by-hole risk assessment on golf courses to measure slopes and drop heights, which would help in selecting the appropriate equipment and operational methods to reduce rollover risks. This proactive approach is presented as a key preventive measure.

💡Smooth tires

Smooth tires refer to tires without tread, which are designed to minimize damage to delicate surfaces like golf greens. However, in the video, smooth tires are identified as a contributing factor to accidents because they provide little traction on wet grass. The choice of these tires, while protecting the greens, increases the risk of losing control on slopes, highlighting the trade-off between protecting the terrain and ensuring operator safety.

Highlights

Slopes and lack of rollover protection systems are major causes of injuries and fatalities with riding mowers.

Three accidents occurred on a seemingly safe hillside on a golf course.

A young worker suffered a skull fracture after a mower slid on wet grass and fell into a sand bunker.

Smooth, treadless tires were used to minimize damage to the greens but increased the risk of accidents.

Previous accidents involved workers losing traction on wet grass and falling off the hillside.

One worker managed to jump off the mower before it crashed into a stump after losing traction.

Experienced mower operators considered the location dangerous after heavy rains and chose different routes.

There were no safety meetings or processes to share information about the dangerous location.

Implementing a safety program to identify and address hazards is crucial.

Regular safety meetings should be held to discuss and share information.

Investigating accidents and developing corrective actions can prevent similar incidents.

Conducting a hole-by-hole rollover risk assessment on golf courses is recommended.

Steep slopes and drop-offs should be avoided when operating mowers.

Workers should be trained and supervised in safe mower operation and review the operator's manual.

Using mowers with rollover protective structures and seat belts can save lives.

The workers in the mentioned accidents survived, but others have not been as fortunate.

Wet grass, steep slopes, and smooth tires are a dangerous combination for mower operators.

Transcripts

Slopes and the lack of rollover protection systems are major causes of injuries and fatalities

with riding mowers. This seemingly safe hillside on a golf course was the scene of not one

but three accidents. This is what happened.

In the most recent incident, a young worker was operating a mower equipped with heavy

rollers to compact the greens. To minimize damage to the greens, the mower was equipped

with smooth, treadless tires.

It had rained heavily the night before, making the grass slick. Travelling along the hillside

from one green to another, the mower slid uncontrollably on the wet grass, then plunged

down a 4-foot drop into a sand bunker, throwing the worker. The mower then struck him, fracturing

his skull.

This wasn’t the first accident at this location. Two others had occurred in previous years:

Another worker had lost traction on the wet hillside and rode a mower over the drop-off

into the sand bunker. The mower rolled onto its side, seriously injuring the worker.

After a heavy rainfall yet another worker lost traction. The worker managed to steer

away from the drop-off and jump from the mower, which then crashed into a stump.

Other experienced mower operators considered the location dangerous after heavy rains so

chose different routes. However, with no safety system at this workplace there weren’t any

safety meetings, or other processes to share this information.

There are key steps to preventing accidents like these.

Implement a safety program to identify and address hazards, and hold regular safety meetings

to discuss and share information.

Investigate accidents and close calls, and develop corrective actions to prevent similar

incidents.

On golf courses, conduct a hole-by-hole rollover risk assessment, measuring slopes and drop

heights to determine what equipment is best for the terrain and how that equipment should

be operated.

Don’t operate mowers on steep slopes or near drop-offs.

Train and supervise workers in safe mower operation and have them review the operator’s

manual.

Consider using mowers equipped with rollover protective structures and seat belts. These

save lives.

These workers all survived. Others have not been so lucky. Drive safely and remember that

wet grass, steep slopes, and smooth tires don’t mix.