Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125774927 - Sunview Vineyards Of Ca

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:30 p.m. on July 5, 1997, Employee #1 was fatally injured by an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Employee #1 had been hired on June 27, 1997, by a vineyard farming operation for bird control. His duties were to scare or kill birds that invaded the grape vineyards. The company had a total of 12 bird control employees; six in this area. On the day of the accident, two of the employees were in the vineyard performing their job duties. Their hours for that day were to be from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, they decided to quit early and had retired to an adjacent orchard with their lawn chairs. Two of their friends, who were not employees, arrived to visit with them. It was at this time that the injury occurred when Employee #1's gun accidentally discharged. Employee #1 was put in the back of the friend's truck, which then stopped at a building to call for help, but no phone was available. They then drove to a convenience store where help was summoned. Emergency crews arrived and transported him to Kern County Medical Center, where he died during surgery. Job requirements for this position required a California Department of Fish and Game hunting license and training by the employer included general safety training and a 30-minute training session on "Firearm and Hunter Safety". Employees used their personal gun and the employer provided the shells. After the accident, the victims gun, a Remington Model ll, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, Serial Number 54939, was examined by the Kern County Regional Crime Laboratory and was found to have missing and loose screws, and their report stated that "if the barrel of the shotgun was depressed manually with sufficient force with a live round in the chamber, the firing pin made a sufficient impression in the primer to cause an accidental discharge."

Keywords: GUNSHOT