Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309904068 - Instant Infosystems

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:45 a.m. on September 19, 2006, Employee #1, Vice President of Sales for Instant Infosystems Inc, a provider of computer software, was playing a company-sponsored game of golf with his CEO and a company vendor representative at the Palos Verdes Golf Course. Employee #1 made a long drive from Hole 5 into a very steep area near the brush at the top of a hill. Rather than lose the ball or use the well-paved concrete golf cart paths and then climb up to find the ball, he took the cart up a high dirt path used by the maintenance crew. He retrieved the ball but there was no place to turn the cart around, so he decided to take a shortcut by descending the steep dew-wet grassy hill down to the golf cart path. Despite the brakes, Employee #1 lost control of the cart on the slick grass and it slid sideways toward a rock outcropping. At this point, Employee #1 exited the cart and began stumbling/running downhill. The cart made a Y-turn at the rock and slid backward down the hill toward him, pinning him against a large eucalyptus tree. Employee #1 was given emergency treatment at the scene by the Superintendent of the Course and by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. He was transported to Torrance Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead from multiple internal injuries.

Keywords: EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, TORSO, GOLF CART, CAUGHT BETWEEN, CRUSHED, TREE, SLIPPERY SURFACE, LOST CONTROL, SLOPE