Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316344753 - United Pacific Services

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:50 a.m. on July 18, 2012, Employee #1 was working as a tree trimmer at a site in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. His employer, United Pacific Services, Inc., provided landscaping and tree services to customers. The company was started in 1999. It had approximately 54 employees. On the day of the accident, employees met at the employer's yard at 7:00 a.m. to pick up work trucks and equipment for the day. Their supervisor told Employee #1, a coworker, and another employee to finish trimming the last 18 palm trees they had to do in Rancho Cucamonga, California. These palm trees were the remaining trees from the approximately 100 that the crew had trimmed the day before. The supervisor took the other employees from the crew to another location in Rancho Cucamonga to remove trees. Employee #1, the coworker, and the truck driver arrived at the site of the incident at approximately 7:20 a.m. Employee #1 trimmed 3 palm trees, but as he was descending the last tree, he ran out of rope and fell to the ground approximately 15 feet (4.6 meters). Employee #1 had tied the knot in his rope too close to the end, which caused him to freefall to the ground. He hit a concrete planter before landing on the ground. Employee #1 sustained a fractured pelvis and a fractured left femur. At approximately 9:00 a.m. on July 18, 2012, West Covina district office received notification of the incident.

Keywords: FRACTURE, ROPE, STRUCK AGAINST, TREE, PELVIS, FALL, CONCRETE, TREE TRIMMING, LEG