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: 1702885.015 - Kings Flc, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:00 p.m. on October 12, 2023, an employee working as a farm laborer for a farm staffing company was working as a seasonal employee on a client site. The employee had been hired one month prior to the incident. The employee was operating a COE receiver, and a coworker was operating a cart collection equipment. The purpose of the cart is to collect the pistachios when the gondola is full. The gondola empties into the cart and when full, and the coworker drives the cart to be loaded into a truck. The coworker was in the operator's seat on the west side of the gondola where the employee was located parked. The coworker did not have a clear view of the employee from the operator's seat due to the gondola blocking the view. The cart filled and the coworker began backing up to leave just as a boot flew out of the gondola. the coworker then heard the employee screaming and ran over and to turn off the gondola. The coworker discovered the employee had been pulled into the gondola augers and was unresponsive. The employee reached into the gondola when the machine was unguarded and contacted the augers while they were in operation. The coworker called 911 and the County Sherriff's Department, Fire Department and EMS responded. EMS declared the employee dead at the scene. The employee sustained contusions, lacerations and abrasions to the scalp, chest, abdomen, back, and upper and lower extremities. Also, the employee's nose, right forearm, right hand, left forearm, left leg and lower right leg were fractured. The County Coroner autopsy report stated that the employee sustained multiple lacerations of the scalp, underlying skull fractures and injuries to the brain.

Keywords: Abdomen, Agriculture, Agriculture Machinery/Vehicle, Arm, Auger, Auger Mechanism, Back, Brain, Caught In, Chest, Contusion, Crushed, Face, Farm, Farm worker, Forearm, Fracture, Hand, Head, Injury Illness Prevention Program, Laborer, Laceration, Leg, Lockout, Lockout/Tagout, Motor Vehicle, Nose, Scalp, Skull