E. E. Hall, Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Apr 24, 2015 (fatal): Employee is killed in oil tank explosion

At 6:18 p.m. on April 24, 2015, an employee was welding a pump bracket to a used oil transfer tank located in the bed of a pickup truck. Off-gas from the used oil ignited and ruptured the transfer tank consequently throwing the employee along with the pickup truck's toolbox. The employee was kneeling on the toolbox when the tank exploded. The employee was killed from a chest injury sustained by contact with the toolbox during the explosion or by possibly landing on the corner of a service trailer.

Incident on Feb 20, 2014: Employee receives multiple burns from electricity

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on February 20, 2014, Employee #1 and a coworker, bo th irrigators, were working for a farm labor contractor organization, which was primarily engaged in supplying labor for agricultural production or harvesting. They were both assigned to an orchard. The supervisor asked them to remove an ol d shade tarp from one of the building structure on the orchard. The coworker ope rated a Harlo Forklift (Model Number HP 5000 and Serial Number 101771) with a wo rk platform attached to the forklift. The coworker used the forklift to elevate Employee #1 to cut the ropes holding the tarp on the structure. Another coworker , who was also an irrigator, was assigned to pick up the rope that was cut by Em ployee #1 as the pieces of rope fell to the ground. Around 9:30 a.m. on the same day, they started removing the tarp. The supervisor traveled to the site to che ck that the job was being done correctly and then left. Employee #1 was elevated approximately 11 ft and was traveling from west to east on the south side of th e structure. The coworker moved the forklift to the next rope that needed to be cut at the southeast corner of the structure. Three overhead high voltage power lines at 12,000 volts ran parallel over the east end of the structure. The top o f the bin clamp on the mast of the forklift struck one of the power lines. Emplo yee #1 was on the platform when it contacted the structure with his hand allowin g the electricity to pass to ground. He suffered electrical burns to multiple up per extremities. The coworker was in the operator's position in the forklift and was not shocked. The power line heated, melted and fell to the ground into two pieces. The coworker lowered the platform with Employee #1 still in it. Emergenc y medical personnel were summoned. They arrived and transported Employee #1 to a medical center, where underwent burn treatment and therapy and was then hospita lized for 14 days.

Incident on Jan 18, 2012: Employee injures left eye when struck by wire

On January 18, 2012, Employee #1 was working in a vineyard cutting wire. As the employee cut a piece of wire it struck Employee #2 in the left eye. Employee #2 was not provided safety glasses. Employee #2 sustained a laceration to the corne a and was hospitalized.

Incident on May 9, 2011: Employee fractures leg in fall from ladder

At approximately 8:05 a.m. on May 9, 2011, Employee #1 was working from a tri-po d type ladder to pick cherries. She was a member of a picking crew for the farm labor contractor. As Employee #1 shifted her weight, she lost her balance and fe ll from the ladder. Employee #1 was taken to Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California, where she was treated for an unspecified fracture at the base of he r femur and tibia.

Incident on Sep 21, 2010 (fatal): Employee dies of a heart attack

On September 21, 2010, Employee #1, a farm worker, was picking pomegranates and putting them into a box. A coworker observed Employee #1 shaking and shivering a nd asked him if he was okay and had him sit down to rest. Shortly after sitting down, Employee #1 collapsed and fell forward on the ground. Employee #1 was tran sported to a medical center and was pronounced dead due to a heart attack.

Incident on Jun 5, 2010: Employee fractures neck in atv accident

At approximately 6:45 pm on June 5, 2010, Employee #1, an irrigator of E.E. Hall , Inc., was riding an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). He suffered a fracture to his n eck due to running an ATV he was operating into an almond tree. Employee #1 was transported in a company vehicle to the Central Valley Occupational Medical Grou p, an industrial clinic, and then was referred to the emergency room at San Joaq uin Community Hospital for further treatment. At the time of the accident, Emplo yee #1 was performing a regularly assigned task of operating an ATV in order to check irrigation hoses for water leaks. Employee #1 had been operating an ATV th roughout the day to check for leaks in the extensive network of irrigation lines running through the almond orchards. Employee #1 stated that towards the end of the day at around 5 or 6 pm, he was travelling down the orchard. A branch was p rotruding from the left and extended to his far right. As Employee #1 swerved ar ound the branch, he veered to his left quickly. As he veered to the left, he sla mmed straight into the base of an almond tree. Employee #1 struck his head again st the tree and staggered to the ground. Employee #1 called Employee #2, his roo mmate, for help. Employee #2 notified Employee #3, his supervisor, of the situat ion and formed a group of six persons to look for Employee #1. When the group ar rived they saw Employee #1 crawling on the ground. Employee #1 was lifted up and held between two persons. Employee #1 was placed in the truck of a supervisor o f the ranch where the employer had a contract with the ranch to provide agricult ural labor services. Employee #1 was driven to an area of the ranch's shop. From there, Employee #3 transferred Employee #1 to his truck and drove him to an ind ustrial medical clinic in Bakersfield. The clinic placed a halo on the employee then referred him to the emergency room of a local hospital. Employee #3 drove E mployee #1 to the hospital where he received treatment for his injuries. Employe e #1 was admitted on June 5, 2010 and discharged on June 9, 2010. The injuries w ere cervical fracture, head laceration, and concussion.

Incident on Aug 15, 1996: Employee injured when run over by farm tractor

At approximately 6:00 a.m. on August 15, 1996, Employee #1, a farm laborer with E.E. Hall, Inc., was working in a tomato field. Britz Farming provided the equip ment and tractor drivers, and hired farm laborers for the field work. A tractor was being warmed up while the driver met with his supervisor. He then got on the tractor and attempted to back it out of the field to hitch up to a set of empty bulk trailers. However, the dolly on the rear of tractor was turning into a van , so he went forward in low gear toward the dirt road. The driver stated that he could clearly see directly in front of the tractor, even though there were two fertilizer tanks mounted near its front sides. Employee #1 was putting on his gl oves and did not see the tractor driver mount the tractor or back up 20 ft befor e pulling forward. Employee #1 was run over near the end of the field by the dir t road, approximately 20 ft from where the tractor was originally parked. He sus tained a fractured right hip and was airlifted to VMC in Fresno, where he was ho spitalized for eight days. Employee #1 had received training from both his emplo yer and from Britz Farming, as had the tractor driver.