Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300795887 - Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

At 5:30 a.m. on December 21, 1997, Employee #1, a chef at the Furnace Creek Resort, was seriously injured by a fall that occurred while he was loading cooked turkeys into the back of a pickup truck. Employee #1 was cooking turkeys at the resort kitchen and then loading them into the back of a Ford F150 pickup truck, which was parked at the loading dock. The tailgate was not lowered. When he stepped from the dock into the pickup bed, his foot caught on the tailgate and he fell forward, out of the truck bed. Employee #1's head struck a rock retaining wall and his body hit the ground. Due to the extent of his injuries he was airlifted to the nearest hospital, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. He died as a result of his injuries on Dec. 28, 1997. The loading dock is 34 inches above the ground, located at the rear of the kitchen of the resort hotel. Fall protection is not provided nor required at this location. The pickup truck was a standard Ford F150 Fleetside long wheel base pickup truck. There were no additions such as rails, cover, stock rack, camper shell or other modifications to the bed. The tailgate was functional, however, the handle was broken. The tailgate was able to be opened by pulling the rod which actuates the release mechanism.

Keywords: LACERATION, TRIPPED, FALL, PICKUP TRUCK, LOADING DOCK