Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306357096 - Sandridge Farms

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on May 15, 2004, Employee #1 and a coworker were spraying a grape vineyards with a plant growth hormone that contained gibberellic acid and isopropyl alcohol. They were both pulling a Lectroplast sprayer with a John Deere tractor, Model Number 5510. After spraying the vineyard, they returned to the water pump, which was located about a mile south of the vineyard to refill their spray tanks. Employee #1 finished filling his tank first and returned to the vineyard to finish spraying. The coworker noticed that he had not seen Employee #1 exit the vineyard rows, so he decided to search for him. The coworker looked in the canal to the west of the vineyard and saw Employee #1 face down underneath the tractor in a shallow pool of mud. The coworker immediately contacted the farm supervisor who called the local enforcement department. They arrived and pronounced Employee #1 dead on the scene. A medical coroner determined the cause of death was due to asphyxia and suffocation from being buried in mud under an overturned tractor. It is unknown why Employee #1 drove the tractor off the edge of the canal. The area between the edge of the canal and the vineyard rows is approximately 40-50 ft, giving the driver a very large turning radius without getting close to the canal edge and the tractor was in good operating condition.

Keywords: ASPHYXIATED, TRACTOR, DROWN, SPRAYING RIG, OVERTURN