Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302464052 - William Turner Arnold (Grower)

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Winston-Salem

Investigation Summary

At 7:10 p.m. on September 30, 1998, Employee #1, a migrant farm worker, was part of a crew that was transporting the day's final load of tobacco approximately one-half mile from the fields to the barns. The grower was driving a Ford farm tractor, model 3600, and towing the 4,000 lb wagonload of tobacco. Five coworkers were riding on top of the load, and Employee #1 was riding on the tongue of the wagon and the towbar of the tractor, while holding onto the fenders of the tractor with both hands. After traveling 337 ft on the road, the owner changed gears because of the increasing grade. Employee #1 lost his balance and fell underneath the trailer. He was run over by both wheels on the tandem axles on the trailer's left side, causing massive blunt force trauma in his pelvic area. The rescue squad was called and arrived at the scene at 7:44 p.m. First aid treatment was administered and Employee #1 was flown to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC; his internal bleeding could not be controlled and he died at 3:07 a.m. on October 1, 1998. The coworkers riding on the load later stated that they had not noticed the vehicle jerking when the owner shifted gears.

Keywords: LOSS OF BLOOD, MIGRANT FARM WORKER, AGRICULTURE, WORK RULES, FARM MACHINERY, RIDING ON EQUIPMENT, PELVIS, RUN OVER, TOWED EQUIPMENT, UNSTABLE POSITION