Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310091111 - Burlingame, City Of, Parks & Recreation

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:15 a.m. on September 19, 2006, a crew from the City of Burlingame's Park and Recreation department was felling eucalyptus trees at Bayside Park on Airport Boulevard. The corner of Airport Boulevard and Old Bayshore Avenue is a high traffic zone and, during the inspection, drivers were observed speeding through the area. In addition, chainsaws were in operation, and the location was near the landing zone for San Francisco International Airport, which increased the ambient noise level. Employee #1 was assigned to pick up branches and other fallen cut material from the drop zone (the area where trees, branches and limbs were falling). A second employee was assigned to cut the trees from the bucket of an aerial lift truck. Two more employees were assigned to traffic control, with a fifth employee assigned to put tree debris into the chipper. Per Employee #1, a branch had fallen into the street and he went to retrieve it because it caused a traffic obstruction. The employee in the aerial truck bucket continued cutting the eucalyptus tree. Employee #1, entered the drop zone, but heard no audible warning that a branch was about to fall. A cut branch hit the boom of the truck, bounced off, and hit Employee #1 in the head, causing severe head injuries. The employer did not ensure that employees were provided with an audible warning and that personnel in the vicinity of the "drop zone" were safely out of range.

Keywords: HEAD, TREE FELLING, TREE LIMB, STRUCK BY, CONCUSSION, COMMUNICATION, AERIAL LIFT