Inspection Detail

Inspection: 312687429 - Sf Recycling & Disposal Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

At around 3:00 a.m. on July 23, 2009, Employee #1 was performing "end dumps" of "fines materials". Fines materials are small particles of concrete mixed with dirt that can be used as alternative daily cover at landfills. The employer manages a material sorting and recycling yard that operates in tandem with local garbage/recycling/green-waste pickup in the same large yard. The employer receives and sorts refuse and recyclable materials and trucks them to other locations for further processing or disposal. The employer's drivers, like Employee #1, load their trailers at hoppers containing the fines materials, weight and tarp the loads and then transport them to a landfill in Vacaville. Employee #1 had already made two trips to the landfill in Vacaville and had prefilled his trailer with fines materials from the green hopper by Scale 8 and then pulled his truck and trailer onto Scale 8 to weigh the load. After weighing the load, Employee #1 pulled his truck and trailer off the scale and onto the sloped drive leading down from Scale 8. Employee #1 exited the truck to roll the built-in tarp over the load of fines materials. However, although the crank-operated rolling tarp had functioned correctly to cover the two prior loads that morning, it failed to close on this occasion; the tarp rolled several feet on one end but appeared to be jammed on the other end. Employee #1 attempted to climb up the built-in ladder attached to the driver's side of the trailer. He stepped onto the wheel well and then onto the top of the tire to be able to access the bottom rung of the built-in ladder. He put his hands onto the lip of the trailer and was pulling himself up onto the load when he fell to the ground, striking his head. Employee #1 was treated at the hospital for a concussion and for a neck injury. Employee #1 was taken by ambulance immediately after the accident and was hospitalized until discharged on July 25, 2009. It appeared that the accident was caused by a violation of Section 3277(f)(4), because there was insufficient clearance space between two of the rungs of the fixed ladder. However, Citation 1-4 was not classified as "serious" because of insufficient evidence that there would be a substantial probability of serious injury or death resulting from a fall from 10 feet. Consequently, a General Accident-Related citation was issued. Other violations were observed and the Employer was cited accordingly.

Keywords: HEAD, COVER, JAMMED, TRAILER TRUCK, LANDFILL, FALL, CONCUSSION, CONCRETE, MECH MALFUNCTION, TRUCK DRIVER