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Report No-F-OHS-140095-BF589 November 2019

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Investigation Report

Worker fatally injured while setting up a vehicle to be towed

March 7, 2018

F-OHS-140095-BF589 Alberta

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Labour and Immigration Occupational Health and Safety

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The contents of this report This document reports Occupational Health and Safety’s (OHS) investigation of a tow truck operator fatally injured while setting up a vehicle to be towed in March 2018. It begins with a short summary of what happened. The rest of the report covers this same information in greater detail. Incident summary A tow truck operator was removing a City of Calgary Parks truck from the Blackfoot Depot City Parks facility. During the work process, while the worker was under the City of Calgary truck, the vehicle moved. The worker was run over and fatally injured.

Background information The City of Calgary Parks and Recreation department is responsible for the development, enhancement, and maintenance of City owned or operated parks and recreation areas and equipment.

The Blackfoot Depot City Parks facility (Blackfoot Depot) is located at 1025 Southland Drive southeast (SE), Calgary, Alberta. This depot is one of several operated by the City of Calgary. The facility holds landscaping materials and distributes those using City vehicles as required to City Parks areas for use.

City Wide Towing and Recovery Service Ltd. (City Wide) is a tow company based in Calgary that has been operating since 1963. The company operates in Edmonton, Calgary, and the surrounding communities. The company has a large fleet of towing vehicles equipped for large and small vehicle recovery contracts, among other services. City Wide is the current contracted towing and recovery service for the City of Calgary.

The City Wide tow truck operator assigned to the task was a tow truck operator who had 19 years of experience in tow truck operation and almost ten years of experience operating the same tow truck vehicle. The tow truck operator had a valid class 1 licence for the tow vehicle they were using on the date of incident.

The City of Calgary (City) had contracted City Wide to tow a City Parks truck (City truck) from the Blackfoot Depot for maintenance/repairs due to a failure to start.

Equipment and materials The City truck to be towed was a 2008 Ford F550 four wheel drive vehicle with a Reading dump material body that was used for landscape and construction material hauling.


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Figure 1. City truck, a 2008 F550 four wheel drive vehicle with Reading model dump body.

The City Wide tow truck, Unit 907, was a 2008 Peterbilt 335 truck equipped with a 20 ton NRC sliding wrecker model 9320 LS unit capable of lifting 40 000 pounds with the boom fully retracted. Fully extended at nine foot extension, the boom was rated for 8000 pounds.


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Figure 2. City Wide tow truck, a 2008 Peterbilt 335 truck equipped with a 20 ton NRC sliding wrecker model 9320 LS unit.

The tow truck operator had placed wood pieces for chocking under the driver side rear wheels of the City Wide tow truck. The pieces were not specific to the type of recovery being conducted.


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Figure 3. Screen clip from the City camera footage at 9:34 a.m. on March 7, 2018. The wood pieces (A) can be viewed in place, chocking the City Wide tow truck rear driver side tires. Sequence of events On March 6, 2018, the City Parks department contacted City Wide dispatch to request recovery services required for the City truck. The caller stated the City truck was failing to start. On March 7, 2018, at 8:10 a.m., City Wide dispatched the request to the tow truck operator. At approximately 8:30 a.m., on March 7, 2018, the tow truck operator arrived at the Blackfoot Depot yard in the City Wide tow truck. They went to the office to check in and get the keys to the City truck to be towed. The tow truck operator proceeded to hook up the City truck from the northeast area of the Blackfoot Depot yard and pull it out into the more open space in the yard area, free from snow.

A


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Figure 4. The City Wide tow truck (A) was running and in drive (5L) when OHS arrived on scene. The City truck was attached, had the front wheels elevated, and was in neutral with the transfer case in 4 high. At 9:34 a.m., the tow truck operator was working under the City truck with the front wheels in the elevated position. The tow truck operator was in the process of disconnecting the driveshaft of the City truck. At 9:41 a.m., the vehicles moved forward and over the wood pieces while the tow truck operator was under the City truck. At approximately 11 a.m., the City staff member who had provided the keys to the tow truck operator returned from working at another location and identified that the tow truck operator was not able to respond. The City staff member called 911, and Calgary Fire Department arrived on scene at 11:13 a.m. The City Wide tow truck was in drive and running when Calgary Fire Department, Calgary Police Services and Emergency Medical Services responded. The tow truck operator was pronounced deceased.

A


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Figure 5. Calgary Police Services photo. View inside the City Wide tow truck before it was moved. The gear section (A) indicates 5,1 which is the lowest drive selection gear.

A


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Figure 6. View inside the City Wide tow truck before it was moved. The air brake (A) was not fully engaged by being pulled out completely. Completion A review for enforcement action was completed on January 15, 2019, and it was determined that the file would be referred to Alberta Justice for review. The file was sent to Alberta Justice on September 11, 2019. Alberta Justice completed their review of the file on November 5, 2019, and did not recommend charges.

This investigation was closed on November 5, 2019.

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Signatures

ORIGINAL REPORT SIGNED November 18, 2019

Lead Investigator Date


Manager Date


Director Date

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