A 31-year-old contractor was left with life-threatening injuries yesterday after he became trapped beneath an industrial auger on a vacant lot in Green Oak Township. Fire crews managed to free the worker, who officials say had been using the auger to fill soil borings at the site. He was then airlifted by medical helicopter to U of M Health-Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
According to CBS Detroit, the incident occurred around 10:19 a.m. on property off Fieldcrest Drive, just south of Silver Lake Road. The Green Oak Fire Department told the station that Livingston County EMS treated the worker at the scene before he was flown to the hospital. The department confirmed the victim's age as 31 but released no further personal details.
Green Oak Fire Chief Kevin Gentry told WHMI that crews arrived within minutes and quickly extricated the man, saying the worker got crushed underneath the tract auger. Hamburg Township Fire set up the landing zone for Survival Flight at the Green Oak Free Methodist Church, while South Lyon crews covered other calls, according to the station.
Why augers are so dangerous
Augers, the long rotating screw machines used to drill or move soil and other material, are a well-documented source of crushing and entanglement injuries. A review by the CDC of auger-related incidents found entanglement, crushing and electrocution among the common ways workers are hurt, and recommends guarding, lockout or tagout procedures, and thorough operator training to prevent them. The agency also stresses keeping shields in place, using barriers to keep bystanders away, and shutting off and disabling power before anyone services the equipment.
Regulatory and safety context
Serious on-the-job injuries like this one can draw state or federal workplace-safety scrutiny, since OSHA standards cover machine guarding and procedures meant to prevent caught-in and caught-between hazards. OSHA guidance and past enforcement actions emphasize guarding exposed augers and using lockout or tagout practices so equipment cannot be re-energized during maintenance. Employers and construction crews are expected to follow those rules and industry best practices to lower the risk of similar incidents.
What officials are saying
Officials have not released the worker's name or provided any update on his condition beyond describing his injuries as life-threatening, CBS Detroit reported. Green Oak Fire and county EMS have not said whether the incident will trigger a formal investigation. We will post updates if additional information is released.
