Authorities in the state of Pennsylvania take the safety of those who utilize its roads very seriously. Accordingly, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation does what it can to make sure those roads are not hazerdous to individuals traveling on them. As a part of this, bridges are regularly inspected. 

Earlier this month a man who was in the process of inspecting a bridge was involved in an accident. At the time of the incident, which occurred on Interstate 279, the 58-year-old man was utlizing a cherry picker to get a good look at parts of the bridge. The man was in control of manuevering the bucket.

The bridge inspector was seriously injured in the incident when he was crushed between the basket and a bridge beam. When another individual who was hired to do the same work discovered the accident had occurred, the injured man was not concious. Despite receiveing CPR at the scene and being transported to an area hospital, the man's injuries were too serious and he sadly died. 

It is unclear what caused the accident to occur. The man, who was not an actual employee of PennDOT, but rather a contractor, could have done something with the controls that put him in the position and left him unable to move the basket. On the other hand, it is possible that something went wrong with the equipment making it impossible for him to control the lift.

As is often the case in workplace accidents the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has commenced an investigation into the incident. It is likely that investigation will determine what in fact happened.

Source: KDKA, "Bridge Inspector Dies After Cherry Picker Accident," Brenda Waters, June 19, 2013