A new-home construction project in the Town of West Bend turned fatal Wednesday morning when a pile of lumber slid off a telehandler and crushed a worker, authorities said. Deputies and West Bend firefighters performed CPR at the scene before the man was taken to Froedtert Hospital in the Town of Polk, where he was later pronounced dead. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into what went wrong at the site.
According to WISN 12 News, deputies were sent to the 3400 block of Highway NN after a 9:27 a.m. 911 call reported that a worker was pinned under lumber at the new-home build. The caller and other contractors had already managed to move some of the wood before first responders arrived, and rescue crews continued life-saving efforts at the scene. WISN reported that the sheriff’s office provided the initial account of how the incident unfolded.
How The Accident Unfolded
Local reports and the sheriff’s office say the chain of events started when a contractor’s telehandler removed a pallet of lumber from a trailer. While the load sat on the machine’s forks, the operator and another worker tried to secure it using a ratchet strap. Per TMJ4, the lumber suddenly shifted and slid off the forks, pinning the worker underneath. People on site, joined by rescue crews, freed the victim and performed CPR before he was transported to the hospital, where he did not survive.
Investigation Underway
The Washington County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were involved in the response, according to local coverage, and the sheriff’s office says the case remains very much active. Federal rules require employers to report any work-related death to OSHA within eight hours, and the agency can open an inspection that looks at issues such as worker training, equipment maintenance and job-site procedures. Officials say more information will be released as the investigation moves forward.
Why Struck-By Incidents Are So Dangerous
Falling or shifting materials are a familiar pattern in struck-by incidents on construction sites, and NIOSH describes struck-by events as a leading cause of both fatal and severe nonfatal injuries in the industry. The agency and its safety partners note that dropped loads, flying objects and moving machinery together account for a large share of serious construction injuries. Their guidance stresses prevention strategies such as setting up exclusion zones, planning lifts in advance and making it standard practice to avoid standing under any suspended or unsecured load.
What Safety Experts Recommend
Federal and industry safety guidance points repeatedly to basics like training telehandler operators, inspecting equipment before lifts, using the proper rated attachments and following load charts. When visibility is limited, experts say spotters should be used, and employers are urged to secure materials before moving them and to clearly mark exclusion zones so workers stay out of the line of fire. Tool-tethering and other engineering controls are also highlighted as ways to keep loads from shifting or falling. Taken together, these steps are intended to lower the odds that a close call with moving materials turns into a fatal struck-by incident.
Authorities have not yet released the worker’s name, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to contact investigators. Local outlets say they will update their coverage as officials release additional details and as OSHA’s inquiry proceeds.
