Car Lift Collapses and Kills Mechanic – Death Cleanup
Most of us don’t think much of dropping our cars off at the local car mechanic or car dealership for an oil change or repair. It’s all routine for the mechanics that work on cars every day with the rare exception of a mysterious problem that has everyone scratching their heads or an accident in which someone is injured or killed on the job. Some jobs are more prone to injuries, and car mechanics certainly get minor abrasions, burns, and cuts due to the nature of their work, but death just isn’t a risk most mechanics consider. Peter had worked for at an auto repair shop in Philadelphia, PA for over a year the day a car lift failed and collapsed while he was working on it. It was one of those accidents no one anticipates and you just don’t ever even worry about, according to one of Peter’s co-workers.
I saw him pass under the truck to get to his tools and the truck rocked for a split second and then fell off the lift on top of Peter as he was kneeling down. I don’t think he ever saw it coming. It happened so fast. When we all ran over to help him, only his leg was visible; the rest of him was completely crushed under the truck. By the amount of blood, we only hoped for the best, but there was no way he was alive.
By the time emergency responders arrived, the 7 other employees at the shop had been able to lift the truck off of Peter’s body. Several of the men were physically sick from what they had witnessed as Peter’s remained were removed by the coroner. There was an extensive investigation to determine exactly how the truck was dislodged from the lift, and it was determined that user error was the cause. Sadly, sometimes it just an honest mistake, a shortcut, a distracted task, or even fatigue that changes the course of fate. And that’s exactly what happened to Peter.
Who is Responsible for Cleaning Up After an Accident?
It’s a common misconception that the police, or even the coroner cleans up a trauma scene or bloody death scene, but it is simply untrue. The blood cleanup and biohazard cleanup is the responsibility of the business or home owner. Unfortunately, cleaning up blood and the tissues that often remain after a traumatic injury or death is much more difficult than most people anticipate. Blood smears and is easily pushed into crevices and can remain there for weeks or even years, and the biohazard risks and potential for spread of infectious disease can last equally as long. Not all viruses and bacteria diminish or die within a few hours of exiting the body; some can even remain dangerous for years. In addition to the physical difficulty of cleaning up blood spills and the risks involved with handling blood, there are also the psychological effects of dealing with the remains of someone you know. Leaving a trauma scene cleanup in the hands of professionals is always the best choice in protecting yourself and your business.
A team of our technicians at Advanced Bio Treatment helped to recover the garage of the auto repair shop after Peter’s fatal injury. Blood had not only seeped into the concrete floor, but it had also compromised the safety of a customer’s vehicle by splattering over the exterior and a small portion of the interior of the vehicle. The shop owner not only took on the responsibility of ensuring that the garage was decontaminated and sanitized, but he was also insistent that his mechanics who had witnessed the accident receive counselling.
We at Advanced Bio Treatment are proud to be the first choice in accident scene cleanup, trauma scene cleanup, and death scene cleanup for business owners and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are there to support Philadelphia and cities and towns all over the United States 24-hours a day, 365 days a year at 1-800-295-1684.
