Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315347286 - Edco Waste & Recycling Services Inc

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on January 6, 2013, Employees #1 and a coworker were emptying trash receptacles. The employee stated that the two 65-gal. trash receptacles were clamped to the lifting mechanism's clamping devices which are used to hold the receptacles while they are lifted over the truck cab, and dumped into an opening on the top of the garbage truck. Employee #1 attached a very heavy trash bin to the clamping device on the passenger side of the truck. A coworker verified that the trash receptacle was properly clamped into position. The employee was in front and out of the path of the trash receptacle as it was lifting up and over the cab. Just before the trash receptacle started to dump into the truck box, Employee #1 walked to the passenger side of the cab and started picking up garbage that had fallen on the ground from the trash receptacle as it was lifting. The trash receptacle became disconnected from the clamping device over the dump box cab cover. The trash receptacle landed on the cab cover and slid forward on the sloped covering and to the passenger side of the truck. From this point the trash receptacle fell from the cab covering striking Employee #1. A coworker transported the employee to U.S. Health Works Medical Center, where x-rays were taken of Employee #1's injuries. The medical personnel at U.S. Health Works Medical Center determined that the employee should be transported to Kaiser Zion Hospital for further evaluation. The coworker transported the employee to Kaiser Zion, where he was treated for a broken pelvis and a head fracture. Employee #1 was hospitalized for twenty-four hours.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, RECEPTACLE, OVERHEAD GUARD, TRUCK, PELVIS, TRASH COMPACTOR, STRUCK BY, DISCONNECTING MEANS