Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125879585 - Harvest Time Produce

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:00 (a.m. or pm. was not specified) on May 10, 2006, Employee #1 was a truck driver supervised by a manager and both are employed by Harvest Time Produce. Employee #1 was electrocuted when the boom made contact with a high-voltage overhead power line. Employee #1 drove a flatbed truck with a boom attached at the back of the flatbed. The articulating platform that holds the boom was approximately 9 ft off the ground, and the boom was approximately 19 ft in length. A fully extended boom (90 degrees) from the tip of the boom to the ground was approximately 28 ft, Employee #1 would load (half to full wood and plastic bins of avocados and kumquats) and unload (empty plastic and wood bins) using a boom lift attached to the back of a flatbed truck (STRG, 2204, VIN Number 2FZACGCS44AM76606, License Number 7E44816). The boom lift was custom made for the truck by Frank's Welding in Escondido. The high-voltage power lines, at the accident scene, was estimated to be 25 ft from the pavement to the north power line. Employee #1 was operating the boom while standing on the ground with a remote control device that was plugged into the boom platform. Employee #1 was standing next to a black metal cyclone fence, when he was operating the boom. Employee #1 was electrocuted via the cable when the boom became energized upon contact with the high-voltage power line. Employee#1 was found by a neighbor when he went out to investigate why his power went off and saw Employee #1 on fire and smoking thus assuming the area was still energized. The police arrived on the scene and used a fire extinguisher. SDG&E arrived on the scene to deenergize the power lines so the boom that was entangled in the north power line could be separated and the line repaired. Harvest Time Produce picked up bins of kumquats and avocados that have been harvested by other employers and then transport them down on flatbed trucks to their packing house in Oceanside, California.

Keywords: BOOM, FLATBED RAIL CAR, ELECTROCUTED, FIRE, SMOKE, FENCE