South Carolina Construction Accident Attorneys Speaking Up for Victims of Machinery Accidents

The size and power of construction machinery is the primary cause of their danger. Bulldozers, for example, operate on tracks rather than tires, which enable them to turn on a dime, much like tanks in the military. They are equipped with enormous, hydraulically operated front shovels that can move several cubic yards of soil at a time, and powered by large, noisy diesel engines that can drown out the sounds of voices shouting warnings. The shovel is capable of smashing a person to death if it strikes them while ascending or descending, or while the bulldozer is making the kind of a sharp turn it is designed for.

Other large vehicles are supported by extra-large, very hard tires with enormous cleats, much like oversized tractor tires, to enable them to move in loose soil. The operator often sits in a high position and may not be able to see everything in the immediate vicinity. A foot run over by such a tire may be so badly crushed that amputation is necessary.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) these “struck-by” hazards are one of the four most deadly hazards found at construction sites (the other three are falls, electrocution, and “caught-in”). This hazard includes not only being struck by falling or flying objects, but being struck by any of the moving or swinging machinery: earth movers, trucks, and cranes. Careless operation of a bulldozer may cause workers in trenches to be buried under tons of soil. An improperly stabilized crane may tip onto its size and crush anything situated beneath it. Or it could contact overhead wires causing electrocution, fire, and, if there are chemical vapors in the air, explosion.