Hanson Aggregates LLC.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jan 18, 2002: Employee injured hand caught in belt and pulley

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on January 18, 2002, an employee of Hanson Aggregates went into a tunnel where there is a 24-in.-wide belt conveyor to clean the tail pulley. This belt conveyor delivers rock from storage piles to a hopper for loa ding rock for concrete. After the employee cleaned around the tail pulley, he sa w that the belt was moving over because of build up on the head pulley. He used a 6-in. by 6-in. piece of rubber belting to clean the head pulley. As he did thi s, his hand or jacket got caught between the belt and the pulley, taking his arm in. Because this head pulley was driven by another belt tail pulley, the other belt pulley began to slip and stopped this pulley. The employee was in this posi tion for 30 to 45 minutes He crushed his right elbow, broke his right thumb, and suffered nerve damage. He was hospitalized for four days.

Incident on Oct 9, 2001: Employee injured after his hand caught in concrete truck

At approximately 8:48 a.m. on October 9, 2001, Employee #1, concrete truck drive r had just completed his delivery of concrete for a curb and gutter project and was washing and cleaning his truck. Employee #1 was standing on the truck's left side platform holding a water hose in his right hand while using the back side of his gloved left hand to loosen some particles of concrete along and under the support ring around the rear of the rotating drum. His left hand got caught bet ween the rotating drum and the support ring pulling his left hand and arm upward toward the top of the drum. Employee #1 was able to pull his hand free as his h and was being pulled near the top of the drum. Employee #1 climbed down the plat form ladder and obtained a clean cloth from the cab of his truck to wrap his man gled left hand. He contacted a nearby resident and requested that emergency serv ices be summoned. A foreman from the curb and gutter project contacted the drive r's dispatcher and reported the accident. The fire department arrived in less th an 10 minutes immediately followed by the paramedics. Paramedics transported the driver to a local trauma center where x-rays revealed four fractures of the lef t thumb. There was also a deep laceration around the thumb. After surgery and a couple of days in the hospital, the driver was released and reported to a clinic for therapy.

Incident on Jul 5, 2001: Truck driver suffers crushed hand

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on July 5, 2001, Employee #1, a concrete mixer truck driver, had finished unloading his load and was cleaning up. He turned on a swit ch to raise the loading hopper at the top and back end of the mixer. This switch is located near the operating position when the operator is standing on the gro und. He then climbed the ladder to wash out the back fins and back area. The ope rator of the pumper was cleaning up also. He wanted to stick the pipe to pump th e mixture up into the loading chute and into the mixer drum. He needed the loadi ng chute down to do this so he thought that Employee #1 was done washing on top. The operator turned the switch causing Employee #1's hand to get caught between the loading chute which was coming down and the fender of the boost he had his hand on. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Incident on Mar 8, 1999: Employee's legs fractured in fall from platform railing

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on March 8, 1999, Employee #1 and a coworker were ass igned by their foreman to correct a slipping belt on the F-15 belt conveyor. The y climbed to the approximately 15 ft high head pulley platform and determined th at the V-belts between the motor and the speed reducer had turned over. Employee #1 was standing on the handrail of the top platform and was trying to pry the b elts into their proper position when he fell approximately 18 ft to the ground. He landed on both feet, sustaining serious injuries to his right ankle and left leg. The coworker witnessed the accident, but by the time he descended from the platform, Employee #1 was on the radio calling for help. The coworker completed the call, while coworkers in the scale house called 911. Employee #1 was transpo rted by Life Flight to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. On March 14, 1999, he was transferred to Kaiser Permanente for additio nal treatment. Employee #1 was not using any form of fall protection.