John Erb Ranch: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Apr 24, 2015 (fatal): Employee killed when pinned under tractor

At 1:00 p.m. on April 24, 2015 an employee was operating a tractor and a hay feeder to transport bales of hay. Moving three hay bales weighing approximately 1,500 lbs each, the employee had loaded the hay bales on a 6140M John Deere tractor and a Degelman 4100 feeder. One bale was loaded on the front of the tractor while the remaining two were loaded on the feeder. As the employee was moving the hay bales from the hay stack to the pasture, he drove down a dirt road with an approximate 15 degree slope. The night before a light snow fell and had covered the ground making the dirt road muddy and slippery. As the employee drove down the slope, about a third of the way down the tractor started to slide turning sideways to the right and ultimately rolled over on its left side. It is assumed that the employee was not wearing his seat belt. The employees injury occurred when the tractor rolled over on its side ejecting the employee out of the cab and onto the ground. The momentum of the tractor and trailer caused the tractor to slide for an additional 10-15 ft trapping the employee underneath the tractor and eventually pinning him between the tractor and the ground. The employee was killed as a result of crushing and blunt force trauma. A county coroner examined the employee, revealing contusions, abrasions, and bruising that are consistent with being pinned under the weight of the tractor. pinned under the weight of the tractor.