Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314824392 - Addink Turf Dba. A-G Sod Farms

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:20 p.m. on April 28, 2011, Employee #1 was operating a Trebro HarveStack Tractor-Mounted Automatic Harvester, at a Riverside, CA sod farm that grew and sold turf to clients. A roll of sod from the conveyor landed improperly on two other rolls in the accumulator and caused a jam. Employee #1 then dismounted from the driver cab sitting position, without disengaging or deenergizing the hydraulic button for the harvester's stacker, to unjam the accumulator sod rolls stack. When Employee #1 repositioned the roll to align with the other two rolls on the accumulator, a sensor activated the stacker that picked up rolls on the accumulator and placed them on the wooden pallets. The steel prongs from the stacker then caught Employee #1's left hand and fingers, while he was trying to reposition the misplaced roll on the accumulator. Employee #1 was able to free himself from the steel prongs of the stacker, and he called two coworkers to assistance him with his injured hand. One of the coworkers then took Employee #1 to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was hospitalized for four days. Employee #1 was diagnosed with two fractured fingers and severe lacerations to the forearm and left wrist. On April 29, 2011, the farm's safety manager reported the serious injury. The Employer was cited for two serious violations: Control of Hazardous Energy and Gears and Sprocket Guarding.

Keywords: FRACTURE, FINGER, GUARD, CAUGHT BY, HARVESTER, JAMMED, LOCKOUT, LACERATION, ARM, WRIST