Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314771171 - Double "L" Planting Company, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on June 1, 2011, Employee #1 was working for a firm that harvested crops. The weather was sunny and warm the day of the incident. Assigned by the firm's owner, he was cutting tree limbs adjacent to a sugar cane field. The tree trimming operation started at approximately 7:30 a.m. Employee #1 climbed a tree to a height of 15 feet above ground with a chain saw to cut tree limbs. The owner directed and observed this operation from approximately 25 feet away. During the cutting, the chain saw malfunctioned or stopped working. Employee #1 attempted to restart the chain saw while he was still 15 feet up. Shortly after the attempt to restart the chain saw, Employee #1 lost his footing and fell head first to ground. The owner immediately tried to call emergency medical services, but he could not establish a cellular telephone connection. The owner walked approximately ten minutes away from the accident scene to find a location with cellphone reception. When the communication was established, the owner tried to follow medical procedures via the telephone. The owner, however, could not maintain the phone connection. He had to walk away a second time from the site to establish a connection and direct the emergency medical services to the remote work site. The estimated time when this happened was approximately 9:30 a.m. The ambulance arrived approximately 30 minutes after the initial call was placed. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene.

Keywords: HEAD, TREE LIMB, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AGRICULTURE, CHAIN SAW, STRUCK AGAINST, TREE, FALL, LOST BALANCE, TREE TRIMMING