Inspection Detail

Inspection: 106498454 - Golden Gem Growers, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Tampa Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a tractor operator, had been mowing orange grove #438, known as Schrieff Harvison Grove. At approximately 7:00 p.m., a coworker found Employee #1 pinned under the mower. The tractor was found still running without the hand brake set. While being transferred to the hospital, Employee #1 told the paramedics that after he had disengaged and partially raised the mower, he had dismounted from the tractor to check the mower. Employee #1 died of internal bleeding from a lacerated heart. Apparently Employee #1 had failed to set the brake, and the tractor, which was on an incline, rolled over Employee #1 and down a hill. The Deutz tractor, model D6806, serial #7562429, was used with a mower FMC 1981, model PG, serial #190431.

Keywords: HEART, BRAKE, PINNED, WORK RULES, STEEP GRADE, LACERATION, LAWN MOWER, TRACTOR, UNMANNED, INATTENTION