Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310811203 - Fun Bike Center

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:30 p.m. on April 15, 2007, Employee #1 and a coworker performing their normal job duties, bringing in all of the all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that had been parked in the front of the building during the day for advertising. The coworker was driving a Polaris Ranger XP with Employee #1 as a seat-belted passenger. The coworker indicated that "he was traveling down the parking lot at approximately 20 mph and attempted to make a sharp left U-turn at 15 mph when it tipped to its right side." The roll bar for the Polaris trapped Employee #1's right hand and leg between the roll bar and the pavement. The coworker tried to upright the vehicle, along with help from several customers, and ran into the store and asked for help. The manager called 9-1-1 and paramedics and the fire department responded. Both employees were transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital by ambulance. Employee #1 was hospitalized with a crushed and fractured right hand and a clinical fracture to his right ankle. The coworker had sustained minor injuries and was released after examination. There were no witnesses that saw this accident; however, some of the scene was videotaped by the employer. The accident investigation indicated that the coworker was driving the Polaris in excess of the employer's stipulated five mph speed for parking lots and took the U-turn too fast and too sharply. All employees in the sales force are provided with hands-on training from the ATV representatives and from the employer.

Keywords: FRACTURE, ROLL-OVER, SPEEDING, WORK RULES, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, HAND, MOTOR VEHICLE, ANKLE