Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310411004 - Utility Tree Service Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:24 p.m. on January 31, 2007, Employee #1, of Utility Tree Service, and a coworker were working at a black walnut orchard near Nicolaus, CA. The employer is a tree trimming service, primarily engaged in line-clearance maintenance. Employee #1 was completing paperwork in the cab of the utility tree service truck (1995 F700 with Aerial Lift of Connecticut (ALC) aerial lift, #848-5706) while his coworker finished the trimming job. The coworker then stored the boom and basket, came down from the equipment, and went to the back of the truck to finish clearing small limbs and debris. While his coworker was on the ground working, Employee #1 finished his paperwork and climbed up on the equipment to remove the hydraulic tools from the bucket. He only recalls disconnecting the tools from the large cab guard on top of the truck cab, and then being on the ground. There were no witnesses to the accident. The coworker heard the tools fall, looked around the side of the vehicle, and found Employee #1 lying on the ground on his left side. Employee #1 had fallen 8 feet 4.5 inches from the cab guard. He was hospitalized with fractures to his left eye socket and sinus areas, broken ribs (on his left side), a bruised kidney and a broken spleen.

Keywords: FRACTURE, SKULL, TRUCK, RIB, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, TREE TRIMMING, AERIAL LIFT, UNSTABLE POSITION