Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111953949 - E.E. Hall, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on August 15, 1996, Employee #1, a farm laborer with E.E. Hall, Inc., was working in a tomato field. Britz Farming provided the equipment and tractor drivers, and hired farm laborers for the field work. A tractor was being warmed up while the driver met with his supervisor. He then got on the tractor and attempted to back it out of the field to hitch up to a set of empty bulk trailers. However, the dolly on the rear of tractor was turning into a van, so he went forward in low gear toward the dirt road. The driver stated that he could clearly see directly in front of the tractor, even though there were two fertilizer tanks mounted near its front sides. Employee #1 was putting on his gloves and did not see the tractor driver mount the tractor or back up 20 ft before pulling forward. Employee #1 was run over near the end of the field by the dirt road, approximately 20 ft from where the tractor was originally parked. He sustained a fractured right hip and was airlifted to VMC in Fresno, where he was hospitalized for eight days. Employee #1 had received training from both his employer and from Britz Farming, as had the tractor driver.

Keywords: FRACTURE, AGRICULTURE, TRACTOR, RUN OVER, COMMUNICATION, HIP, MOTOR VEHICLE, INATTENTION