Construction worker dies after being struck-by an excavator bucket
OSHA cites Van Kirk Sand and Gravel for 2 serious violations after fatal incident
Two workers were injured, one fatally, after being struck-by an excavator bucket while installing stormwater drainage in a trench in Holdrege, Nebraska on July 17, 2014. OSHA cited Van Kirk Sand and Gravel, which operates as Van Kirk Brothers Contracting, for two serious safety violations related to the incident.
OSHA's inspection found that one of the employees sustained puncture wounds from the bucket after it disconnected from the excavator and rolled into the trench from a height of about 4 feet. He died from his injuries later that day. The second employee suffered contusions and abrasions in the incident and has since returned to work.