Dewey Pest Control: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 30, 2017 (fatal): Employee falls from roof and is killed

On March 17, 2017, Employee #1 and a coworker were working on a 2-story stucco and frame dwelling with an attached patio removing the patio. Employee #1 climbed the patio roof and began to remove roof shingles and plywood using hand and power tools. The coworker was at ground level removing and loading the debris into a truck. After the truck was full the coworker left to unload the debris and to take his lunch. Employee #1 remained on top of the roof continuing the demolition. At approximately 1:30 p.m. the coworker returned and found Employee #1 on the ground unresponsive. Employee #1 was killed in the fall.

Incident on May 1, 2000: Employee's fingers amputated when caught in belt and pulley

Employee #1 worked for a pest control outfit, which employed 14 field technician s to provide pesticide control services to its clients. One of these services, c alled power spraying, involved spraying an area with pesticides using a motor pu mp and a hose with a nozzle. Each technician was regularly assigned a truck on w hich was installed a motor pump, a chemical tank, and a hose holder; the motor w as gas-powered and had a belt and pulley drive to aid in the mixing of the chemi cals. The operator turned the motor on by activating a lever switch and pulling a cord. Employee #1 was assigned to one of these vehicles in November 1999. The truck's motor, a Honda G150, was unguarded when it was given to him. He secured the motor at night with a canvas cover and a weighed it down with a plastic cool ant container filled with water. On the day of the accident, he had reported to his first job of the day. After he notified the owner of the residence involved, he climbed into the bed of his truck and stood on the opened tailgate to crank up the motor. He picked up the plastic container, placed it on top of the adjace nt chemical tank, and pulled the canvas cover to the floor. He then moved the le ver switch and pulled the crank cord. After the motor had started running, its v ibration caused the plastic container to fall into the 8 in. space between the m otor and the chemical tank, specifically between the belt and pulley drive and t he chemical tank. As Employee #1 reached in to retrieve the container, he felt a tug on his hand and instinctively pulled it back. His right middle and ring fin gers had become caught in the unguarded in-running nip point of the belt and pul ley drive. He suddenly felt a numbing sensation and pulled off his gloves to fin d the tips of his two fingers in a very awkward position. He opened the cab of h is truck, pulled out a clean rag, and informed the resident that he could not pe rform the services that day. With the help of another motorist, he then drove hi mself to the hospital, where his right middle and ring fingers were surgically a mputated. He was released later that same day but had to be hospitalized for sev eral days in the following week for treatment of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Incident on Apr 3, 1992: Employee injured in fall from roof

At about 8:16 a.m. on April 3, 1992, Employee #1 of Dewey Pest Control, a fumiga tion contractor, was injured in Monterey Park, CA, where the employer was perfor ming contractual work on a residential house. Employee #1 was hired as a grounds man by Dewey Pest Control five months before the accident. On the day of the acc ident, the crew members were at the back of the house while the crew supervisor talked to the home owner. Without being told to, Employee #1 took a tarpaulin an d climbed to the roof. He fell from the roof 14 1/2 feet to the street side of t he house. No one from the crew saw him climb to the roof. Employee #1 was not we aring a safety belt or lanyard. He was transported to Monterey Park Hospital, wh ere he was treated for abrasions and contusions on his arms, shoulders, legs, an d abdomen. Dewey Pest Control was cited for a violation of T8CCR 1670(a).