Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111954483 - Century Ag Spray

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Inspection Nr: 111954483

Report ID: 0950625

Date Opened: 09/09/1998

Site Address:
Century Ag Spray
Sw Of I-5 And Hwy 33
Cantua Creek, CA 93608

Mailing Address:
Po Box 1782, Huron, CA 93234

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:0721

NAICS: 0

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 11/16/1998

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 01/25/1999

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	362282097

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations				1		1
Current Violations				1		1
Initial Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$100	$0	$100
Current Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$100	$0	$100
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citaton Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Contest	Latest Event	Note
1.	01001	Other	342 A	11/19/1998	11/19/1998	$100	$100	$0		-

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 201081155

Event: 09/04/1998

Employee run over by tractor and killed

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on September 4, 1998, Employee #1, employed by a pesticide spraying company since August 24, 1998, was run over by a tractor. At the time of the accident, Employee #1 had been operating a John Deere 2640A tractor, Number 332968T, with an attached spray rig, spraying a mixture of Pounce and sulfur on pistachio trees. The spraying was being done in the evening hours due to the high daytime temperatures. Employee #1 had begun work that evening at approximately 7:00 p.m. He was driving at the west end of the 300-acre orchard at about 7:45 p.m. and was on his first row. At approximately 9:00 p.m., the foreman went to check on Employee #1 and saw the tractor stopped and the engine running while Employee #1 was lying on the ground. The foreman called the owner who then summoned emergency medical services. Given that the wheels were turned sharply, it appeared that the tractor had been in the first row and had veered to the third row, where it collided with a tree. The foreman stated that he found the tractor running and in neutral. Employee #1's body was found approximately 18 ft from the tractor and 16 ft from where the tractor veered off. This area in the orchard had a downhill slope. Employee #1's hat, goggles, and gloves were found approximately 17 ft from the body. His 3M dust mask was on the tractor throttle handle. The sheriff's report indicated that it appeared that Employee #1 had fallen from the tractor with no signs of trauma. However, the coroner confirmed that Employee #1 had a crushed chest and back injuries, which indicate that the tractor ran over him. The employer had a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program along with the documentation and safe tractor procedures. The other company employees were interviewed and corroborated the fact that they were trained in the safe tractor procedures. Also, the tractor was driven out of the field after accident and appeared to have no mechanical problems.

Keywords: CHEST, PPE, BACK, COLLISION, CRUSHED, TREE, TRACTOR, RUN OVER, SPRAYING RIG, SLOPE

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	111954483			Fatality	Other	Laborers, except construction

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