Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311597926 - Spring Hill Nurseries Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Cincinnati Area Office

Investigation Summary

On November 30, 2007, Employee #1, a part-time maintenance man, was working with Employee #2 installing a new conveyor line. The work had progressed to within 15 to 20 feet of a floor opening that was left when an old conveyor line was taken out along with the section where an inclined conveyor went through the floor to the level below. The company had placed 1.625-inch thick styrofoam board over the opening and a section of roller conveyor on top of the Styrofoam, to prevent it from moving and prevent debris, dust and dirt from falling below. The area around the floor opening was somewhat barricaded with sections of roller conveyor stacked up and other equipment stacked around the opening, as well as caution tape. The floor opening measured 27 feet long by 44 inches wide and 14 feet 10.8 inches (9/10 of a foot) above the floor below. On November 30, 2007, the maintenance supervisor had maintenance employees remove the sections of roller conveyor and styrofoam off the opening to uncover it, so the traveling maintenance staff with welders could finish welding diamond plate across the opening. When the traveling maintenance supervisor saw the opening, he said his crew could not finish it that day, as they had to leave by 3:00 p.m. to get back to Lawrenceburg, Indiana. They would not even start on the work, so the maintenance supervisor could cover it back up and they would work on it the next Monday. The maintenance supervisor had the maintenance men put the styrofoam board over the opening, but not the roller sections, and put back up the caution tape. Employee #1 and Employee #2 continued to work in the area on the new conveyor line. Employee #1 sent Employee #2 to get a section of rolled up 12-inch wide conveyor belt section, which was stored on a pallet which was just inside the caution tape. There were several rolled up sections of conveyor belt on the pallet, and sections of conveyor support legs leaned over top of them. Employee #1 said he wanted a small section of the belt. Employee #2 went around the outside of the caution tape to get the rolled up section. When Employee #2 pointed to one of the sections, Employee #1 said he wanted the smaller one. When Employee #2 pointed to another section, Employee #1 ducked under the caution tape, stepped onto the Styrofoam and fell through the opening. Employee #1 hit a rack end on the way down, flipped, and fell the rest of the way. He hit his head on the concrete floor. Employee #1 suffered numerous injuries including multiple broken ribs, multiple skull and facial bone fractures, and was in a coma. Employee #1 died on November 15, 2008 from pneumonia and complications from his injuries.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, MAINTENANCE, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, STRUCK AGAINST, CONVEYOR, RIB, FALL, FLOOR OPENING