Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1093784.015 - A & L Contracting Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At 10:30 a.m. on September 21, 2015, an employee was working at a citrus grove. He was with his wife and a fruit picking crew. They were havesting lemons in a lemon orchard. The employee and his coworkers began to work at about 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. All were laughing and taking pictures of each other. It was hot and very humid. When the employee had been working for less than an hour, he sat down. When the site's foreman asked him if he were okay, he said he was fine. Separately, he complained to another coworker that he had chest pain and tightness in his chest. Immediately he began to moan and became unresponsive. He began vomiting and then became unconscious. The foreman called emergency medical services immediately. The employee's son performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The employee regained consciousness as paramedics administered treatment and CPR. The employee was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 12:15 p.m. The temperature was above 29 to 32 degrees Celsius (85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit), but the employee and his entire crew had been working for less than an hour, according to the foreman. The exact cause of death had not been determined at the time of the investigation.

Keywords: Agriculture, CPR, Cardiac Arrest, Cardiovasc System, Chest, Emergency Response, Heart Attack, Heat, Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, Nausea, Unconsciousness, Vomit