Being Respectful to Coworkers Fatality Report

Busted Water Line Leads to Crushed Co-Worker

While there is much disrespect among workers there are many pranks in the workplace that sometimes can be fun, they can also end up distracting workers to the point that major accidents and serious injuries can occur. Even the most innocent of activities can sometimes lead to unexpected injuries that may be serious enough to cause death. As a result, workplace safety should always remain your number one priority.

In one recent incident, the operator of an excavator struck a water line while he was digging a trench, resulting in a spray of water. Another worker who was down in the trench then used his shovel to throw some of the water back at the excavator operator, who tried to shut his window in order to avoid the water. Instead, his shovel hit a lever that moved the bucket and crushed the worker into the wall of the trench. This is a good example of how a simple act of men throwing water at one another completely distracted both of them from the heavy and potentially dangerous machinery. In this case, that distraction was significant enough to cause a serious injury in the workplace.