Personal Injury Law

Crushed worker could have easily been avoided - chock the wheels

By Steve Lombardi

Chocking the wheels and setting the parking brake would probably have saved the life of this liquid asphalt truck driver. OSHA fined a trucking company $9,100 for failing to use precautionary measures that allowed a truck loaded with liquid asphalt to roll, crushing the worker between two trucks. The driver was 62-year-old Brian Cellar.

If married at the time or if he had dependent children they would be provided with workers' compensation benefits in Iowa. What most people don't appreciate is even if the worker is from another state they can sometimes get Iowa benefits if the accident occurred in Iowa or they normally live and work in Iowa but the accident happens in another state.

Chocking the wheels is a simple thing, setting the parking brake even simpler. Sometimes we forget the little things that make a big difference. There are no holidays from safety. Be smart and go back to the basics. Shortcuts may lead to a disaster. General IOSH or OSHA safety rules are covered under Chapter 10 in Iowa.

This is the second worker to die from similar rolling issues. A man in McGregor, Iowa died as the truck trailer he and some others were working on rolled over him. The utility trailer was hooked to a pickup truck. It's not clear if the trailer wheels were chocked, if the parking brake was on or why he was in a position where he could be crushed. His name is Brent Blietz, 24-years-old. There is no mention of whether he has a wife and children. Our condolences go out to the extended family.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on September 17, 2009 (boomark / email).