Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 160370.015 - Employee is killed in fall into harvester
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
1700337.015 | 09/29/2023 | 111219 | Payne Farms Inc. |
Abstract: At 11:30 p.m. on September 28, 2023, an employee was in the process of unclogging a tomato harvester. The 2010 harvester clogged, and the employee turned off its engine and took the key out of the ignition. The employee went on top of the harvester to unclog it. A coworker came and sat in the operator's seat of the 2010 harvester. The employee unclogged the harvester and signaled the coworker by thumb up to start the harvester. The coworker turned the harvester on briefly and turned it off. At that moment, the employee fell into the feeder house assembly and brush shaker area of the harvester. Since the brush shaker of the harvester keeps moving about 6-7 seconds after the harvester is turned off, the employee was pulled into the harvester by the brush shaker in that span of 6 to 7 seconds, causing fatal injuries. There was no railing on the top of the harvester, no effective training on hazardous energy control procedures, and no effective implantation of the hazardous energy control procedures of locking out and tagging out. Not staying clear, not turning off the engine, and not locking out the switch at the rear of the engine compartment before unclogging the harvester contributed to the accident.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1700337.015 | 27 | M | Fatality |