Struck-by injuries aren’t unusual in construction. But the manner in which a piece of equipment was set in motion makes this case more unusual.
Victor Towery was a heavy machine operator for A & A Grading and Hauling in Bessemer City, NC.
A & A workers were loading a large pipe at a construction site. The pipe hit a lever on an excavator, causing the five-ton machine to move. Towery was standing in front of the excavator. He was struck by the machine.
Emergency medical services transported the worker to a local hospital where he later died of his injuries.
It’s unclear if anyone was on the excavator at the time of the incident.
Towery, 34, was the father of two children. He had been working for A & A for six years.
The fatality is under investigation by OSHA. A report may take up to six months.
OSHA says struck-by incidents are a leading cause of deaths in the construction industry.
In 2011, 18 people died from being struck by equipment in the workplace.
