A state investigation found a serious workplace safety violation at the Putnam County Recycling Center following the December death of a Solid Waste employee.
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a report released Tuesday that unsafe working conditions existed at the recycling center. The report outlines corrective steps and required notifications for Putnam County.
The report found Putnam County officials failed to provide employees with safety instructions when off-loading a rolling dumpster. Instructional training could have assisted, the report found.
The investigation centers on the death of 46-year old Jennifer Ellison, a truck driver for the Putnam County Solid Waste Department. Ellison died after she was crushed to death while performing job duties. Ellison worked as a roll-off dumpster truck driver assigned to county recycling sites. Duties included hauling dumpsters from remote locations to the county recycling center, unloading contents, and returning containers to their original sites.
Investigators said the fatal incident occurred the morning of December 4, during Ellison’s second load of the day. Ellison picked up a full dumpster from a remote recycling center in Algood and transported it to the county facility.
After unloading at the Putnam County Recycling Center, the dumpster gate failed to lock into place. A front-end loader pushed against the gate to assist, a practice the report said was known by the employer.
During that process, the truck began rolling forward downhill. Ellison ran toward the moving vehicle and attempted to reenter the cab to stop it.
The truck struck a retaining wall, crushing Ellison between the wall and the vehicle. The truck continued rolling until it collided with a parked truck further downhill.
Emergency responders transported Ellison to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries. Inspectors later examined the truck and found no defects in the braking system.
The report concluded the employee should not have attempted to reenter the moving vehicle. Recommendations include placing vehicles in park before exiting, using wheel chocks on inclines, and prohibiting front-end loaders from assisting with dumpster gate closure.
The report gave the county a March 5 deadline to correct the issue.