Kurt Bianchi: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 16, 2021: Employee incurs multiple injuries when struck by falling cul

At 8:45 a.m. on March 16, 2021, Employee #1, a laborer employed by an agricultural company, was servicing a 1982 Ford Field Cultivator at the employer's shop and yard. The employee and a supervisor were preparing to lower the cultivator's wings for maintenance when the left wing unexpectedly fell. The supervisor had pulled the pin securing the wing, expecting the hydraulic system to hold it in place. However, the hydraulics failed, causing the wing to collapse. Employee #1 attempted to move away but was struck by the falling wing. The employee sustained serious internal injuries, including a perforated stomach, fractured ribs, a concussion, and a head laceration, and was hospitalized for nearly a month and a half. The employer had not implemented precautionary measures to prevent hydraulic failure after the equipment had been idle over the winter. No accident-related citations were issued.