Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316673409 - Earth Kist Farms

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:45 a.m. on January 13, 2014, Employee #1, a tractor driver, and a crew of 16 employees were building a greenhouse on a strawberry farm. Employee #1 and another coworker, who was also a tractor driver, assisted with unrolling a roll of plastic film, which was to be used in the greenhouse construction. The rolls weighed approximately 2,880 pounds. A hang bar was inserted through the hollow part of the roll and secured at the ends onto a forklift attachment by rollers, which allow the hang bar and the roll of plastic to spin in place as it was unrolled. However, the hang bar was not secured against upward displacement. The roll hung at an approximate height of 9 ft as the plastic sheet was unfurled to build the greenhouse. Employee #1 was at one end of the roll and the coworker was at the other end, no more than 9 feet away. As the employees were pulling on the roll, the bar became dislodged and sprang upward. The roll of plastic fell on Employee #1, fracturing his left leg. The coworker was able to move out of the way in time to avoid injury. The supervisor was at another location at the time of the accident. The factor that contributed to the incident was due to the hang bar being not secured against upward displacement. Employee #1 was airlifted to a medical center, where he underwent surgery and was then hospitalized for postoperative treatment and care.

Keywords: FRACTURE, UNSECURED, FARM MACHINERY, DRIVER, STRUCK BY, TRACTOR, FALLING OBJECT, LEG, UNSTABLE POSITION