UPS driver killed in Massachusetts

[browniehound]

I feel so bad for the man killed and his family, along with the feeder driver. I truly believe I would have to quit UPS if I was the one so unfortunate to kill somebody on the job. What a truly defastating situation for any of us to go through.

 

[RockyRogue]

I truly believe I would have to quit UPS if I was the one so unfortunate to kill somebody on the job. What a truly defastating situation for any of us to go through.

Brownie, when I was a helper, my driver told me the same. We almost had a car vs pedestrian accident, which was when he told me that. He'd heard of people that had had accidents involving death and they'd quit. In fact, he told me the same basic story Sammie posted a few months back about the kid sliding down the hill and getting run over by a UPS package car.

Again, prayers for the driver and his family in this most painful time. -Rocky

 

[LOUPS78]

Just want to add a few corrections to the article pertaining to "UPS driver killed in Massachusetts". The accident happened Wednesday evening, May 16, at the end of the air sort, an out building in the trailer yard of the Brockton facility, shortly after 8.M. The UPS employee who was operating the shifter is a well seasoned very dedicated UPSer. The man killed also a long time dedicated employee. Safety is a huge priority in the Brockton Building. Yard safety is highly enforced with designated painted walkways and yellow safety vests that must be worn when working in these areas. There are a lot of thoughts on how the accident happened and many unanswered questions. Most importantly at this time is to keep the thoughts and prayers of both Mr. Duhamel and Mr. Levesque and their families in the minds of all UPSers.

 

[local804]

Moparman, not to denegrate what happened but is this driver UPS? From the article, it sounds like he is not. Was he delivery driver with diff company? Article said he had hand-held computer. Well, we, feeder drivers, are not supposed to have anything like this in our hands when driving.

Again, I certainly do not want to take away the tragicness of this event but if he was not UPS, then it shows the importance of following UPS safety procedures. If he WAS UPS then I hope we can all learn from this.

I dont know if you remeber a few months back a newspaper posted a supervisor was killed sleeping on the side of the road on the way home from work. They also said he was going to go with his family to Disney World the next week or something to that effect. The supervisor was really a feeder driver and his vacation to disney was in a few months from the date. The point I am trying to make is that usually newspapers botch up stories and we cant believe everything they write.

 

[local804]

Sorry for the loss. In the South Carolina district employees on the yard are required to a yellow vest that has reflective material on it.

We are required to wear vests too but do you think that would have helped him in this situation? When the feeder drivers blind side back, they can not see ANYTHING on the other side. They rely on what it looks like before they back. Maybe there should be a spotter in the yard that watches these type of backing up moves and helps the drivers with thier blind side backings. I know it will cost UPS money, but they profit more than enough.

 

[athena]

Thanks to everyone who posted the article.

 

[dave_socal]

Moparman, not to denegrate what happened but is this driver UPS? From the article, it sounds like he is not. Was he delivery driver with diff company? Article said he had hand-held computer. Well, we, feeder drivers, are not supposed to have anything like this in our hands when driving.

Again, I certainly do not want to take away the tragicness of this event but if he was not UPS, then it shows the importance of following UPS safety procedures. If he WAS UPS then I hope we can all learn from this.

This was probably a UPS freight driver they use diads in their feeder operations and this is what was being referred to in the article. Is this story new? I thought I heard a similar story less than a month ago? How do you run over someone in a yard? Most UPS facilities have 10-15mph speed limit posted. How does someone get to a position of danger like that. I could understand being hit from the front but it sounds like this person was run over by the rear trailer wheels. I hope we get more details before we pass judgement. As far as having something in your hand while driving, I've seen many drivers with cellphones, CB mic's, food, cigarettes, etc etc..

 

[.....]

Charles levesque is my father. he is COMPLETELY crushed. it was a rainy day and the man was not where he was supposed to be. the police think that he went to the bathroom in the wrong place (behind a dumpster), and walked back with his head down. Mr Duhamel was only about 5 foot 3, and they believe he looked up at the last moment and slipped in the rain, and slid under. my father was only going 6 mph at the time. at the time, Mr duhamel did not have a vest on. please, dont judge my father. he is a great driver, and is back at UPS after a month of therapy.

 

[lost]

Charles levesque is my father. he is COMPLETELY crushed. it was a rainy day and the man was not where he was supposed to be. the police think that he went to the bathroom in the wrong place (behind a dumpster), and walked back with his head down. Mr Duhamel was only about 5 foot 3, and they believe he looked up at the last moment and slipped in the rain, and slid under. my father was only going 6 mph at the time. at the time, Mr duhamel did not have a vest on. please, dont judge my father. he is a great driver, and is back at UPS after a month of therapy.

This is tragic on both ends my thoughts and prayers are with both families.

 

[IDoLessWorkThanMost]

Very sad to hear this news.

This rant is not necessarily reflective of this tragedy, but just my general thoughts over the past several years.

I work daily in the yard in ENE and must wear the saftey vest.

Upon a death in the 'yard' a couple years back ( I believe in the midwest), all employees must be "yard certified" and wear the yellow vest.

This accident really hits home; I grew up about 10 miles from Bridgewater and work in ENE for the past 7 years.

Also, many customers that come for SDWC's don't understand that it's unsafe to walk around the yard and wonder why they need to stay within the walkway. They'll walk around, drive in, RUn in....it's no wonder there aren't more accidents....

A sad day indeed. Although most incidents like this are caused in backing (a no-no for everyone of course...) please fellow UPS'ers, drive carefully and remember that when you go flying in at 30mph ( I see a few every day, usually aggrevated rightly so and just trying to get in and out qiuickly).. there could be a very tragic situation just feet ahead of you.

 

[LKLND3380]

Very sad to hear this news.

This rant is not necessarily reflective of this tragedy, but just my general thoughts over the past several years.

I work daily in the yard in ENE and must wear the saftey vest.

Upon a death in the 'yard' a couple years back ( I believe in the midwest), all employees must be "yard certified" and wear the yellow vest.

This accident really hits home; I grew up about 10 miles from Bridgewater and work in ENE for the past 7 years.

Also, many customers that come for SDWC's don't understand that it's unsafe to walk around the yard and wonder why they need to stay within the walkway. They'll walk around, drive in, RUn in....it's no wonder there aren't more accidents....

A sad day indeed. Although most incidents like this are caused in backing (a no-no for everyone of course...) please fellow UPS'ers, drive carefully and remember that when you go flying in at 30mph ( I see a few every day, usually aggrevated rightly so and just trying to get in and out qiuickly).. there could be a very tragic situation just feet ahead of you.

In central FL only those who are Yard Certified and Wearing a Vest are allowed to walk in non pedestrian areas. Pedestrian areas are marked with yellow zebra lines.

With that said it is not uncommon to see the center manager or a PT Supe in the yard without a vest. One of the preloaders with a car on the outside saw the center manager smacking a golf ball around in the grassy area near the parking lot next to the building...

 

[RockyRogue]

We heard it was on the east coast.

I think there have been a couple of them, CACH. There was a fatality at Denver about 6 years ago (or so I was told) in the yard. Never did get the full story but what I pieced together was someone walked behind a backing-up feeder. Not sure if that's right or not.

One of the preloaders with a car on the outside saw the center manager smacking a golf ball around in the grassy area near the parking lot next to the building...

That's real bright on his part. I hope there were no cars nearby. I must say though that UPS management has some innovative ways of burning off steam. I knew a member of full-time management here in Denver that would read the dictionary when he was angry! What a guy, too. Among the last of the 'old school.' -Rocky

 

[KBlakk]

As a preload employee we have many experinces with trailers and proper yard procedure but even with proper procedures being followed sometimes an accident can occur the most we can do from these are learn we shouldn't point the blame unless we can clearly see where human negligence was the cause.
I have witnessed employees left in trailers as the tractor pulls them off,employees dangle off bay doors due to trailers being pulled without regard and most recently I have even witnessed an employee have his foot wedged between the trailer and the wall. I have have not witnessed the tragedy of a death nor do I wish to we as fellow CO WORKERS need to educate each other and look out for the safety of each other even if the company sweeps us under the rug.

 

[freeloader]

Way back when (before all this yellow vest stuff), I was a shifter and safety seemed secondary at that time. I was trained not to use the seatbelt in the yard horse so that I could make shifts faster. I was also trained to use the red line only (no yellow line or lights). I didn't see a problem pulling empties like that but full loads would be scary. Supervisors would yell at me over the radio to pull trailers off the door without checking to see if it was clear. Yard lighting was decent but there were dark parts of the yard.

Yard procedures were implemented as a result of a few bad accidents in the yards.

Thankfully I never had any accidents or close calls and there were never any bad accidents in the facility I worked at. I honestly don't know how I could live with myself if I was the one responsible for a death. Wouldn't matter whether it was an accident or not an accident, or at UPS or anywhere else. The guilt would haunt me for the rest of my life. My condolences go out to the victim and the driver.

 

[Anonymous GearJammer]

By looking at the satellite photo of the building it appears to be very tight for space a lot like ours is. In our district we have three hubs one constructed in the 60's, the other in the 80's, and one in the 00's. The safety records for some reason seems to be directly related to the age of the buildings, could it be they have a lot more space at the newer ones. Remember that the maximum size for trailers used to be 40' and 26' for doubles plus they were slightly narrower. Now we have 28' up to 53' being pulled around in yards not designed for such equipment, or volume for that part.

Thoughts and prayers go out to both families.

 

[trplnkl]

added to that there are probably more delivery drivers also, that makes for more vehicles in the parking lots.

 

[Big Babooba]

We heard it was on the east coast. The problem with the yellow vests is that some people put them on and automatically assume that we can see them. The closest I ever came was when some one walked behind me while backing in the rain. i got out and yelled at him and he said he thought it was ok to do it because we were safe drivers.

People don't realize the blind spots around and behind trailers and package cars. Also the rear of a trailer is very quiet, there is no engine or exhaust noise back there. A trailer could back right over you and you would never hear it coming.