CA Conservation Corps: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Nov 10, 2010: Employee fractures ribs in fall on slippery surface

On November 10, 2010, Employee #1, of CA Conservation Corps, emptied a bucket of water into the sink in the mop room. He fell and fractured his ribs. He was tra nsported to California Hospital and then transferred to the Kaiser Permanente's West Los Angeles Medical for treatment of broken ribs that he sustained in the f all. Cal/OSHA had determined that the incident was caused by slipping. No citati ons were issued to the employer.

Incident on May 21, 2010: Employee gets finger crushed and amputated by rock

On May 21, 2010, Employee #1, a laborer of California Conservation Corps was hel ping remediate a trail in a forested area. Employee #1 was helping lower rocks i nto place on a rock wall at the trail edge. Employee #1 lost his grip on the roc k and the rock rolled onto Employee #1's finger. The estimated weight of the roc k was over one hundred pounds. Employee #1's right index finger received a compo und fracture from the rock falling on his hand. He was hospitalized due to his f racture.

Incident on Mar 25, 2010: Employee is bitten by spider

About a week before April 4, 2010, Employee #1 was working as a Conservation Cor ps member clearing brush with hand tools along a highway when he was bitten by a spider. Employee #1 was working as part of a crew of 15-20 corps members near G arberville. On April 4, as the bite became more infected over the course of a we ek, Employee #1 required outpatient medical visits as well as a weeklong inpatie nt hospitalization for a MRSA-infected wound including minor surgery and antibio tic therapy. The incident was reported to DOSH on April 15.

Incident on Oct 20, 2008: Employee fractures leg when broken grip hoist strikes

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on October 20, 2008, Employee #1 and the coworkers w ere working at a jobsite located at the proximity of Hwy 101 at Wilson Creek in Klamath California. They were moving logs from a spoils pile that was previously staged for them. Employee #1 and a coworker were gripping at the hoist. Employe e #1 was standing inside the bight and the coworker outside, when the grip hoist box anchor strap broke causing the grip hoist to strike Employee #1 in his leg. Employee #1 fractured his lower leg and was hospitalized. The accident investig ation revealed that Employee #1 and the coworker used a worn nylon tow strap to anchor the grip hoist to the tree. According to Employee #1, he instructed the c oworker to get the new and correctly rated nylon rigging straps, however he did not ensure that those nylon tow straps were used in the configuration.