Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119701951 - Tri-Cities Recycl & Dispos Fac Div Waste Managemen

Inspection Information - Office: Oakland District Office

Investigation Summary

On November 18, 1994, Employee #1, a 53-year-old supervisor with more than five years of employment, was using a .22 caliber blank starter pistol with a bird bomb attachment. She was attempting to reduce the bird population at a nonhazardous sanitary landfill operated by her employer, Tri-Cities Recycling and Disposal Facility, Fremont, CA, which collects and disposes of refuse from processors, incinerators, landfills, or other sites. The landfill's large, unprotected tracts of land attract birds and rats. The loaded pistol discharged inside the cab of a pickup truck, providing an ignition source for the loose primers, bird bombs, and bird whistlers that were stored in an open metal box on the front seat. The resultant explosion and fire caused Employee #1 to suffer multiple first- and second-degree burns, wounds, and lacerations on her body. She was transported to a medical center in San Jose for hospitalization and treatment and was discharged nine days later. The accident was due to improper handling of class C explosives and improper storage of material. The employer also provided more than the required explosive materials.

Keywords: BURN, EXPLOSIVES, WORK RULES, FIRE, EXPLOSION, LACERATION, ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE