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: 1743154.015 - Environmental Tree Service, Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Houston South Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 1:30 p.m. on April 22, 2024, an employee was working as a groundskeeper for a tree service. The employee was using a rope to secure and brace a bush to prevent it from coming into contact with the rotating cutting wheel of a Bandit SG-75 Track Stump Grinder. The rope became entangled in rotating wheel and wrapped around the employee's body. The employee was pulled toward the cutting wheel causing him to strike his head on the wheel's debris cover. The employee died from blunt force trauma to his head.

Keywords: Abrasion, Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Catch Point, Caught By, Contusion, Cutting, Entangled, Face, Head, Laceration, Lack of Engineering Controls, Lack of Work Procedures, Machine operator, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Rope, Rotating Parts, Struck Against, Tree Care, Tree Stumping, Wheel, Wrong Equipment