Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120179130 - Farmers Rice Cooperative

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 24, 1995, Employee #1, of Farmers Rice Co-op, Sacramento, CA, was working alone in building dryer #2. At approximately 5:50 a.m. she was sweeping floors at level 1. At approximately 6:45 a.m., she took the elevator manlift to the eighth floor, where she stepped off, or attempted to step off, and stumbled, possibly in a floor opening, back into the step of the moving manlift, which struck her left side and broke two ribs. To keep from falling through the floor opening, she hung onto the side of the step. When she reached the top of the manlift at the eighth floor, she did not activate the deadman bar, which went across the top front with room enough from the manlift belt and step to clear it. Her head passed by and her shoulder probably struck the bar. The bar pinned the employee's head and neck to the step, with the rest of her body hanging down from the step about 5 ft off the floor. Employee #1 was strangled due to her position. The West Sacramento Fire Department responded to the scene and helped in the extraction of Employee #1. She was pronounced dead at the scene and the county coroner's office removed the body.

Keywords: FRACTURE, ASPHYXIATED, SHOULDER, AGRICULTURE, PINNED, CAUGHT BY, TRIPPED, RIB, FALL, ELEVATOR