Inspection Detail

Inspection: 112026455 - Santa Barbara Tree Service

Inspection Information - Office: Labor Enforcement Task Force (Letf) Unit - South

Inspection Nr: 112026455

Report ID: 0950645

Date Opened: 12/17/1991

Site Address:
Santa Barbara Tree Service
1364 Cravens Ln
Carpinteria, CA 93013

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2458, Santa Barbara, CA 93120

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:0783

NAICS: 0

Inspection Type: Complaint

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 01/28/1992

Planning Guide: Safety-Manufacturing

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 05/22/1995

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Complaint	75382184	Yes

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	1		1			2
Current Violations	1		1			2
Initial Penalty	$1,200	$0	$0	$0	$0	$1,200
Current Penalty	$1,200	$0	$0	$0	$0	$1,200
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	Repeat	342 A	03/02/1992	03/03/1992	$0	$0	$0		-
2.	02001	Serious	3203 A02	03/02/1992	04/15/1992	$1,200	$1,200	$0	05/10/1992	J - ALJ Decision

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 170179600

Event: 12/17/1991

EMPLOYEE INJURED BY GRINDER'S EXPOSED ROTATING CUTTERS

An employee of a tree service company was operating a rented Promark stump grinder (Model No. 94007). Warning labels (in English) at the grinder's controls and rotating cutters admonished the operator not to get near the cutters. Rental company employees indicated that they tell all grinder renters not to leave the controls because there is no clutch. However, the employer had not trained the employee in the proper operation of the grinder. The grinder was designed so that the weight of the 6.8- to 13.5-kilogram cutting head will cause the motor to stall if the operator releases the handle. The employee left the controls to walk to the cutting end to pick up a shovel, leaving the rotating cutters exposed and 600 to 900 millimeters off the ground. Unfortunately, the grinder did not stall as it was designed to do. The employee turned toward the grinder, and his left hand and forearm contacted the rotating blades, which cut tendons, skin, bones, and tissue. He was hospitalized for his injuries. The employee probably lost the use of two or three fingers on his left hand and was left with a deformed left arm.

Keywords: GRINDER, TREE STUMPING, INADEQUATE MAINT, ROTATING KNIFE, LACERATION, STRUCK BY, ARM, UNTRAINED, HAND

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	112026455			Hospitalized injury	Cut/Laceration	Timber cutting and logging occupations

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