Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316514645 - Matsuda'S Of Sacramento

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:00 p.m. on May 25, 2012, Employee #1, a 21-year-old male farm worker with Matsuda's of Sacramento, was performing planting activities. This work involved driving the tractor to pick up potted plants at the potting area, loading them onto the trailers attached to the tractor, and then driving them out to the growing site for placement. Employee #1 was picking up a load of plants at Mixing and Planting Pad #2, when he noticed the first trailer attached to the tractor was lower to the ground (near where it attaches to the tractor). Employee #1 needed to raise the trailer back up to a horizontal position so that they could begin loading the trailer with plants. To perform this operation there is an elevation control located next to the operator seat on the right side of the tractor. To engage the elevation control, the tractor must be started. While standing on the ground to the left of the tractor, he reached across the tractor and turned the ignition to start the tractor. When the tractor started, it began to move forward. He attempted to jump on the tractor, but his foot slipped off the tractor. The rear, left tractor tire rolled over his right leg. Emergency Medical Services were summoned and Employee #1 was transported to Kaiser South in Sacramento and admitted to the hospital. Employee #1 was in the hospitalized for three-days and underwent surgery to repair a fracture to the right leg tibia and fibula.

Keywords: FRACTURE, TIBIA, DRIVER, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, STRUCK BY, UNTRAINED, LEG