Abstract: At approximately 8:40 a.m. on March 31, 2008, Employee #1, a loader operator, was operating a loader tractor in close proximity to another loader. They were both loading bales of peat, which measured approximately between 4 feet by 4 feet by 5 feet x4x5 and 4 feet by 4 feet by 10 feet. Their weight ranged between 500 and 1,000 pounds. While loading the bales of peat, employee noticed some debris on the ground. He stopped the loader and exited the vehicle. As Employee #1 was retrieving the debris, the other loader, with an attachment that grabs the bales by their side and lifts them into a large container, was attempting to lift one of the bales. However, the forks did not go through the bale, causing it to push against another bale. This second bale tipped over and struck Employee #1, knocking him to the ground. Employee #1 was taken to Watsonville Community Hospital in Watsonville, CA, where he was hospitalized and treated for a fractured vertebra at the L2 area.