Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315719534 - Scott Duffy Dba Landscape Solutions

Inspection Information - Office: Minnesota Department Of Labor And Industry

Investigation Summary

On July 18, 2011, a hot summer day, Employee #1 and a coworker were trimming hedges and collecting the cuttings from the hedges. The two employees drank liquids when they arrived at the job site. They drank liquids several times that morning, and Employee #1 took a break in the shade. The two employees and the owner then went to lunch and ate inside the air-conditioned restaurant. They then went back to the job site and continued to trim hedges, using electric trimmers and an edger. Later that afternoon, Employee #1 collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Employee #1 died at the hospital. The employer did not report the fatality within eight hours to OSHA. Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Division proposed one serious and one nonserious citation. One proposed citation was for not having established a written Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) Program that promoted safe and healthful working conditions and was based on clearly stated goals and objectives for meeting those goals. The second proposed citation was for not having orally reported an employment accident that resulted in a fatality or the inpatient hospitalization of three or more employees, within eight hours after the occurrence, to the nearest Area Office of the Minnesota or Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration or to the OSHA toll-free central telephone number (1-800-321-OSHA).

Keywords: UNCONSCIOUSNESS, HEAT EXHAUSTION, TREE TRIMMING, HIGH TEMPERATURE