Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126007764 - Labor Ready

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

Labor Ready is a temporary employment agency. Employee #1 was loaned out to Paragon Building Products, which is a dry batch production facility for dry ready-mix concrete. Employee #1 was working on site as a laborer, when he was asked by a coworker, a foreman at Paragon, to clean a hopper full of sand. The hopper is cleaned once to twice per week, depending when different types of batches are needed. Employee #1 entered the hopper, and while standing on top of the sand, used a long stick to loosen and push the sand that accumulates on the sides of the hopper. The hopper chute was open and the conveyor underneath the chute was operating. As he was loosening the sand, either his footing or the sand underneath his feet slid out, causing him to fall deeper into the center of the hopper. Additional sand fell on top of him covering his entire body and head. The coworker found Employee #1's feet sticking out of the chute. By the time the Fire Department and his coworkers could extricate him, Employee #1 had passed away. Factors that contributed to the accident were that there was no program for confined space entry, nor was there training or written procedures for the employees entering hoppers full of sand with engulfment hazards. Employee #1 was very new to the company since he was only with Paragon for two weeks.

Keywords: SAND, CONFINED SPACE, SUFFOCATED, CONCRETE, HOPPER