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Background. Workplace safety is a global public health issue. Reconstructing an accident can prove extremely complicated, especially when the event occurs without direct witnesses or when the scene is altered. In these cases, it is essential to adopt proper investigation protocols in order to ensure the correct reconstruction of the dynamics. Case report. A man was found unconscious on the ground, having fallen from a height of approximately 2 meters, where there was a cabin in which a conveyor belt of raw materials for the production of cement ran. At the end of the path of this belt a scraper was found. An autopsy was carried out and the scraper present at the scene was examined and compared with the injuries on the victim. After the autopsy, the investigators returned to the scene and collected the traces found in the cabin. At the end of collecting the traces, the investigators simulated the dynamics of the event by turning on the conveyor belt and placing a scraper of the same dimensions and characteristics as the one found at the scene inside the cabin. Conclusion. The autopsy showed a maxillofacial trauma with multiple bruises on the face and a serious fracture of the epistropheus tooth. This trauma was therefore incompatible with a simple fall from 2 meters. The investigators created an experimental model that demonstrated a very high energy rebound of the tape when placed in contact with the scraper. This reconstruction made it possible to carry out a single report with the data collected by the medical examiner and the investigators, which was effective and exhaustive, allowing the Authority to be provided with the evidence to continue the investigations about the responsibilities of the worker and the employer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Each year, there are billions of agricultural work accidents involving the operation of tractors, grain augers, harvest combines, power take-off devices, or balers and thrashers. Field accidents of this nature seem more common on afternoons, just as road accidents tend to skew toward nighttime. The lesions can vary widely and depends strictly on the operation of the machinery analyzed. Aims. This paper aims to present a peculiar case of decapitation by a combine harvester, showing how, in cases of injury due to agricultural machinery, it is fundamental a correct execution of a scene investigation, autoptic examination, and cooperation with a specialist in engineering. Case Report. A 54-year-old man was found decapitated on the header of a combine harvester; his extremities were also dismembered. At autopsy, a clean oblique cut across the first cervical vertebra had severed the head at the neck. Although the right arm remained intact, both lower extremities were mutilated, showing numerous exposed and open fractures. A bleeding, penetrating wound to the back was additionally noted. In the days that followed, missing parts (head and left leg) were discovered in other machine components (grain tank and straw walker, respectively). All observed injuries were compatible with the mechanics of the cochlea, its rotating movement inflicting the damages above. Collaboration between pathologists and engineers was fundamental to recreating the dynamics of this rare decapitation accident by a combine harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Workplace safety is a global public health issue. Re-constructing an accident can prove extremely complicated, especially when the event occurs without direct witnesses or when the scene is altered. In these cases, it is essential to adopt proper investigation pro-tocols in order to ensure the correct reconstruction of the dynamics., Case Report: A man was found unconscious on the ground, having fallen from a height of approximately 2 meters, where there was a cabin in which a conveyor belt of raw materials for the production of cement ran. At the end of the path of this belt a scraper was found. An autopsy was carried out and the scraper present at the scene was examined and compared with the injuries on the victim. After the autopsy, the investigators returned to the scene and collected the traces found in the cabin. At the end of collecting the traces, the investigators simulated the dynamics of the event by turning on the conveyor belt and placing a scraper of the same dimensions and characteristics as the one found at the scene inside the cabin., Conclusion: The autopsy showed a maxillofacial trauma with multiple bruises on the face and a serious fracture of the epistropheus tooth. This trauma was therefore incompatible with a simple fall from 2 meters. The investigators created an experimental model that demonstrated a very high energy rebound of the tape when placed in contact with the scraper. This reconstruction made it possible to carry out a single report with the data collected by the medical examiner and the investigators, which was effective and exhaustive, allowing the Authority to be provided with the evidence to continue the investigations about the responsibilities of the worker and the employer.

Background: Each year, there are billions of agricultural work accidents involving the operation of tractors, grain augers, harvest combines, power take-off devices, or balers and thrashers. Field accidents of this nature seem more common on afternoons, just as road accidents tend to skew toward nighttime. The lesions can vary widely and depends strictly on the operation of the machinery analyzed., Aims: This paper aims to present a peculiar case of decapitation by a combine harvester, showing how, in cases of injury due to agricultural machinery, it is fundamental a correct execution of a scene investigation, autoptic examination, and cooperation with a specialist in engineering., Case Report: A 54-year-old man was found decapitated on the header of a combine harvester; his extremities were also dismembered. At autopsy, a clean oblique cut across the first cervical vertebra had severed the head at the neck. Although the right arm remained intact, both lower extremities were mutilated, showing numerous exposed and open fractures. A bleeding, penetrating wound to the back was additionally noted. In the days that followed, missing parts (head and left leg) were discovered in other machine components (grain tank and straw walker, respectively). All observed injuries were compatible with the mechanics of the cochlea, its rotating movement inflicting the damages above. Collaboration between pathologists and engineers was fundamental to recreating the dynamics of this rare decapitation accident by a combine harvester.