Deceased
David Bruce Scale
Demographics
52y, male
Date of death
2008-03-06
Finding date
2014-06-04
Cause of death
ruptured liver and chest injuries due to blunt force trauma
AI-generated summary
David Bruce Scale, a 52-year-old experienced road broom operator, died from blunt force trauma when he entered a machinery crush zone while investigating a broom stow mechanism malfunction. The vehicle was running with the engine and hydraulic systems active. Key clinical lessons: (1) Mr Scale had documented a broom malfunction on 12 November 2007 ('broom no side shift or up and down') with no apparent follow-up; (2) inadequate hazard-specific training—his son could not recall receiving written or verbal operating instructions; (3) administrative controls (warnings, signage, general SOWIs) proved ineffective, especially for a worker operating alone in a remote area; (4) absence of risk assessment specific to the installed broom mechanism, despite the equipment being installed in 2006; (5) no emergency stop mechanism at point of exposure. The coroner found the death was foreseeable and preventable, highlighting the inadequacy of relying solely on worker compliance with safety instructions when machinery failures occur.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
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Source and disclaimer
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