Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1516865.015 - U.S. Borax Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys Mining & Tunneling District Office

Investigation Summary

An employee was employed as an instrumentational electrician whose job duties included troubleshooting and fixing various electrical problems at a borate surface mining operation. The employee was admitted to the hospital on December 19, 2020, due to respiratory difficulty and tested negative for COVID-19 upon admittance. On November 30, 2020, the employee had worked in close proximity to another employee who then tested positive for COVID-19 on December 1, 2020. The employee tested negative for COVID-19 the same day and was required to self-quarantine per company policy due to his close contact. Due to the employee's negative COVID-19 tests on December 1, 2020 and December 19, 2020 and his absence from work since December 1, 2020, the employer did not believe he had suffered a work-related illness. After reviewing his hospital records, it was determined that the employee was infected with COVID-19 during his hospitalization. The employee died on December 19, 2020.

Keywords: Infectious Disease, Respiratory