Abstract: At 10:14 a.m. on December 13, 2000, Employee #1 parked the fertilizer spreader next to the service truck and shut off the engine. He then proceeded to connect the fueling hose to the spreader and released the bleeder valve to begin fueling. When the fueling process was underway, he stepped back three steps and lit a cigarette. This resulted in fuel ignition and caused second-degree burns to Employee #1's hands, arms, and neck. Employee #1 was transported to the Delano Regional Hospital and then the University Medical Center Burn Unit in Fresno, California, where he remained for two days. Employee #1 worked for the employer for approximately three months. His duties as an equipment operator included general operation of the fertilizer spreader, as well as refueling the spreader on an as-needed basis.