Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312668510 - Ca State Polytechnic University Pomona

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 23, 2011, an employee was working as a grounds worker at a state university. While he was at home, he became incapacitated or unable to move, and he was taken to a hospital. Exercising an abundance of caution, his employer reported this incident as a serious accident. Two months prior to this incident, the employee had reported experiencing lower back pain due to an injury resulting from musculoskeletal or other cumulative trauma. Possibly, this trauma was caused by his work in landscaping and grounds maintenance. On September 26, 2011, the employer reported that the hospitalization of the employee was unrelated to any workplace injury. The employer further reported that his workup had determined that he was suffering from a terminal disease rather than an injury. The Division opened an inspection at the worksite and learned that the employee had died of terminal cancer on October 15, 2011.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, BACK PAIN, CANCER