Excavating firm cited for September workplace injury at Highway 99 CarMax site

A Lake Stevens excavating company was cited by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries earlier this week for a September workplace accident that injured a backhoe operator at the 212th and Highway 99 construction site where a CarMax used-car dealership is being built.

Gregco Excavating was cited Dec. 12 for a general violation of state construction work safety standards following a Labor and Industries investigation into the mishap, during which the backhoe operator was pinned by a bucket that inadvertently swung around. The worker involved in the Sept. 12 incident was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle by aide car, according to Lynnwood Fire Department spokeswoman Julie Moore. The exact nature of the victim’s injuries wasn’t released due to patient privacy laws.

According to the citation, Gregco Excavating did not ensure that the floor of the rear operating position of a backhoe cab was free of tools. The operator inadvertently activated the controls in the rear operating position of the backhoe cab while a lifting chain was on the floor next to the left-foot control pedal, causing the bucket to swing around and pin the operator.

According to Labor and Industries spokeswoman Elaine Fischer, the violation does not include a financial penalty.

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