Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300788486 - Bob & Nial Magoffin Dba Bob Magoffin And Sons Tree

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on February 14, 2002, Employee #1 was climbing a palm tree that was approximately 45 ft tall to trim the dead fronds. When Employee #1 was approximately 20 ft to 25 ft up the tree, the climbing spurs that he was wearing were not holding in the bark of the tree. The climbing spurs were manufactured by Klein and had 1.56-in. gaffs. Employee #1 was wearing a tree climber's saddle made by Weaver, ANSI A10.14, Model 1035 SM. Employee #1 was carrying a chain saw and blue safety rope suspended from the saddle. Employee #1 had a "scare" rope that went around the tree and connected to his saddle. The scare rope was a braided steel cable with a fabric covering. Employee #1's supervisor was at the jobsite and instructed him to use the blue safety rope and tie one end to the saddle rope grab device, drape the rope over a palm frond on the adjacent palm tree and drop the other end to the ground. The supervisor then told Employee #1 to release the scare rope, transfer his weight onto the blue rope on the adjacent tree and the supervisor would belay him down. Employee #1 followed his supervisor's instructions and when he transferred his weight, the palm frond that the blue rope was over, bent or broke, the blue rope slipped off, and Employee #1 fell approximately 25 ft to the ground. Employee #1 landed on his feet and broke his left ankle and shattered his right heel. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Keywords: FRACTURE, CHAIN SAW, UNSTABLE SURFACE, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, TREE TRIMMING, ANKLE, FOOT