Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1587389.015 - Alco Iron & Metal Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Modesto District Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:10 a.m. on March 31, 2022, an employee, a laborer at a metal recycling facility that sorts and ships metal to other facilities for recycling and processing, was cleaning up, by hand, some radiator and radiator parts that had fallen out of a bin he had just moved. Next to where the radiators were stored, bundles of wire, each weighing approximately 4,000 pounds, were stacked on top of each other. As the employee was picking up the radiators and radiator parts, the stack of wire bundles next to where he was working became unstable and fell. The top bundle fell on top of the employee, crushing him under the bundle. Nearby employees used a forklift to extricate the injured employee from under the bundle. The employee sustained crushing injuries to his body. He was transported to San Joaquin General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Keywords: Bundle, Crushed, Falling Object, Struck By, Unstable Load