Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 201086477 - Employee Dies from Heat Stroke
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
306359290 | 08/18/2005 | 0761 | 115115 | Zepeda'S Farm Labor Service |
Abstract: On August 17, 2005, Employee #1, on his second day of harvesting lettuce seeds in Huron, CA, worked for eight hours in temperatures that reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F), with 15 percent relative humidity. Employee #1 was required to wear a long sleeve shirt, gloves, hat and dust mask. Water was available and frequent water breaks were encouraged by the employer. Harvesting is performed by a crew, a tractor operator, two cutters and four beaters. Cutters cut the plant and throw it into a metal gondola, where the beaters thrash the plant and discard it. Seeds weighing up to 500,000 pounds are transferred to a canvas and raked to separate debris. Prior to working with the seed harvesting, Employee #1 was weeding cotton in temperatures reaching 110 degrees F and was presumed to be well acclimated to the high temperatures. Thirty minutes after work, Employee #1 exhibited hallucinations, vomiting, and lost consciousness. He was transported by ambulance to Hanford Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead with a body temperature of 108.5 degrees F.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 306359290 | Fatality | Heat Exhaustion | Farm workers |