Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315072900 - Treehouse Almonds

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

On November 22, 2011, Employee #1, a 31-year-old male laborer, was replacing a bolt on the south 35-foot-high elevated open auger conveyor line at the Treehouse California Almonds, LLC hulling facility in Delano, CA. Connecting bolt breakage was reported to be common at the facility, and apparently, repairs were normally performed using an aerial device. In that instance, the aerial device was not operational. As a result, the hulling operations manager (manager) lead Employee #1 up the almond pile to access the conveyor line and walk on the rails of the auger tube. The hull pile was reported to be 10 feet to 15 feet below the area where Employee #1 was working. Employee #1 was replacing the bolt connecting the flight on the south auger conveyor line, with the manager standing ten feet away. The auger line was energized, apparently, while Employee #1 was standing in the auger or falling into the flight. Employee #1's legs became entangled in the auger flight, resulting in amputation of his right leg above the knee and multiple fractures to his left leg. Tulare County Fire Department initially responded to the emergency, but they were not prepared for an elevated extraction. As a result, the rescue took more than an hour. Extraction was performed using a gas-powered abrasive cut-off saw to remove the section of the auger line, where Employee #1 was entangled in the flight. Employee #1 was hospitalized. On November 22, 2011, the manager notified the Division about the serious occupational injury that occurred to Employee #1 that afternoon. During the investigation, the Division learned that the manager gave a hand sign to turn on the auger to an employee who was 150 feet away. Locks were available, and the employer claimed LOTO (lockout/tag out) training was provided. However a program meeting compliance requirements of a Cal/OSHA regulation was not established. In addition, the employer did not have an adequate plan for emergency preparedness.

Keywords: FRACTURE, AMPUTATED, REPAIR, AGRICULTURE, CAUGHT BY, LOCKOUT, AUGER, LEG