Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1621226.015 - Partners Personnel Management Services, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At 5:00 a.m. on September 8, 2022, an employee was working in a silo during the night shift at a pistachio nut processing facility. The employee was placed at the employer as a general laborer through an employment agency. The pistachio harvest season runs approximately eight weeks, and the incident occurred at the peak of the season. At the time of the incident, the employee was assigned to the production room and was labeling 2,200 pound "supersack" bags of pistachios. The procedure for the process was to secure printed labels or tickets to the supersacks by inserting them into clear sleeves. To place the labels into sleeves, the employee had to get on top of the supersacks. Required personal protective equipment (PPE) for the task consisted of a hair net, ear plugs, bump cap, safety shoes, and shoe covers that pull over an employee's boots. Shoe covers are required if an employee is going to stand on the product. A coworker saw the employee going to get shoe covers at approximately 4:30 a.m. At 5:00 a.m., another coworker passed by Silos 1 and 2 and saw a pile of pistachios on the ground and thought it was spillage. After the plant supervisor and a coworker started shoveling the pistachios, it was determined that the employee was underneath the pile at Silo 1. The employee had opened the silo door with pistachios inside and was covered by the pistachios that spilled out. The employee was killed by traumatic asphyxia.

Keywords: Agriculture, Asphyxiated, Crushed, Crushing, Employment Agency, Engulfed, Food processing, PPE, Silo, Temporary Employment Agency, Traumatic