Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120043054 - Santa Monica Solid Waste Management

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was a street sweeper operator in Santa Monica, California. As part of the sweeping process, operators collect, by hand, fallen palm tree fronds--dead, dried-out palm tree branches. The collection bin on a sweeper often gets too full to add collected fronds, so excess fronds are stored in a slot between the vacuum motor and truck cab. A frond exposed to the exhaust manifold of the vacuum motor caught fire. Employee #1 climbed aboard and attempted to extinguish the fire by stamping on it. He then used rags to try to extinguish the fire and suffered second-degree burns to his right hand and his left forearm. The fire was finally extinguished by a resident's garden hose. No fire extinguisher was on the street sweeper.

Keywords: BURN, EXHAUST SYSTEM, PALM TREE, FIRE EXTINGUISHER, WORK RULES, FIRE, FOREARM, HOSE, HAND