Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312683147 - Al Rey Landscaping

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

On Tuesday, June 14, 2010 at approximately 3:00 PM, a 36 year-old gardener working at a private home in Rancho Santa Fe suffered serious injury when he fell 20 feet from a ladder while trimming a palm tree. The Division was notified of the accident by the employer on 6/15/10 at 8:30 AM. The injured, Employee #1, was transported to Scripps La Jolla where he was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks. The worksite where the accident occurred is a private home in a gated community. The injured employee was dropped off at the job site with another employee by the landscaping contractor. The employee's job that day included trimming the fronds on a grouping of three 25 foot palm trees. Employee #1 used a 32 foot metal extension ladder and propped it up against one of the trees. The metal ladder was missing the self-leveling feet. He was standing at a level about 15 or 20 feet off of the ground. He used a 20 inch long hand saw for cutting off the drooping palm fronds. As he reached for a palm frond on an adjacent tree he lost his balance and fell, landing first on the roof of the home before falling to the ground. He suffered a closed head injury, compression fractures to his back, a broken thumb, internal injuries and other trauma, and was hospitalized until June 27, 2010.