Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 146300.015 - Employee sustains multiple fractures in fall from woodchippe

Accident Summary Nr: 146300.015 -- Report ID: 0950632 -- Event Date: 09/22/2021
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
1596615.015	05/16/2022		611310	Palomar Community College District

Abstract: At 10:00 a.m. on September 22, 2021, an employee working as a groundskeeper for a community college district was operating a woodchipper. The employee and a coworker were using the chipper to mulch branches and other debris at the site. The operation came to a stop when the chute got clogged. The employee stopped the machine. He then obtained some tools and removed the bolts holding the chute in place. As the employee was working on the machine, the chute started to detach from the chipper. The employee noticed that it was falling off and so he tried to hold it with his hand. That was when he realized that the chute was too heavy and he let it go. At that moment, the employee lost his balance and fell nearly 3 feet from the machine. The employee was hospitalized to treat multiple fractures from impact with the ground.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Brush Chipper, Chipper, Chipping, Chute, Clearing, Clogged, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fracture, Ground, Ground Crew Worker, Groundskeeper, Landscaper, Landscaping, Lost Balance, Maintenance, Wood Chipper

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	1596615.015	46	M	Hospitalized injury		Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm

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