SA Recycling: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 5, 2021: Employee collapses and sustains facial lacerations and fract

At 2:30 p.m. on March 5, 2021, an employee of SA Recycling, LLC, a materials recycling facility, was working near the baler machine in. The employee, who was sweeping the area with a broom and dust pan, appeared to have briefly lost consciousness due to a personal medical condition and collapsed. During the fall, the employee struck nearby equipment, resulting in facial lacerations and fractures. The employee was disoriented and confused shortly after the incident. Emergency services transported the employee to a nearby clinic, which referred them to LACUSC Medical Center for treatment. The employee was admitted and treated at the hospital. No violation was found by the Division during the investigation.

Incident on Aug 6, 2019: Employee fractures pelvis in fall while installing new conve

At 07:54 a.m. on August 06, 2019, an employee, a supervisor, was changing out a conveyor belt on a long conveyor. The employee was working with three coworkers to replace the conveyor belt. The employee was working off the side where the railing access was located. The new belt was sitting on a support structure approximately 13 feet off the ground. The method used to replace the old belt and install the new belt involved having a round bar run through the center of the new belt which sat atop a support structure. The support structure had arms on both sides of the conveyor system. The employee had moved to free up the new conveyor belt that was to be replaced by jumping across the conveyor to the side without railings. A coworker, a crane operator, was asked by the employee to pickup the roll which moved, swinging out, knocking the employee 12 to 15 feet to the ground. The employee was hospitalized to treat a fractured pelvis.

Incident on Mar 6, 2018: Recycling worker sustains fractured leg when struck by falli

At 1:40 p.m. on March 5, 2018, an employee was working for a temporary labor agency, his primary employer. The temporary labor agency had assigned him to work at a center where ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal was recycled. That was his secondary employer. The employee was operating a forklift. He was moving a transformer on his forklift. He was working in the facility's non-ferrous area just east of facility's old scale house. The employee's immediate supervisor that was on the job site, although he was not at the exact location where the incident happened. The transformer was supported by the left fork of his forklift. The transformer weighed 145 kilograms (320 pounds). The employee placed the transformer close to a 1.2-meter by 1.2-meter (4-foot by 4-foot) Gaylord box. He stopped the forklift and raised the forks about 1.2 meters (4 feet) off the ground. He got off the forklift and attempted to pull the transformer off the fork and into the box by hand. Instead of going into the box, the transformer hit the edge of the box and bounced off to the outside. It struck the employee's left leg. The employee sustained a fractured tibia. The employee underwent surgery and treatment at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista, CA. He was hospitalized there for three days. The San Diego DOSH learned of the accident from the secondary employer (the recycler) at 4:19 p.m. that next day, March 6, 2018. The secondary employer was in compliance with the reporting requirement, as there were exigent circumstances. The secondary employer did not have knowledge of a serious injury until 8:00 a.m. on March 6. It reported the injury within 24 hours of finding out about the injury. The primary employer had a contractual arrangement with the secondary employer to report accidents at the secondary employer's job site. The Division arrived at the secondary employer's job site at 3:00 p.m. on April 12, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. and conducted an opening conference. It also conducted an opening conference with the primary employer on April 13, 2018. The employee's immediate supervisor was on the job site although he was not at the exact location where the accident happened. The employer did not ensure that the employee had secured the load to prevent the object from falling. As well, the load was not safely arranged or stable while the employee handled it. If the employee had placed the heavy transformer on a pallet and strapped it down with straps or wrapped it to the pallet, steps that were part of the employer's procedure to do this task safely, the incident would have been prevented. The employee was the only exposed worker at the incident. A serious accident related citation was issued to the secondary employer for T8 CCR 3650(l). secondary employer for T8 CCR 3650(l).

Incident on Feb 14, 2018: Employee's hand is fractured when caught by boom part

At 3:15 p.m. on February 14, 2018, an employee was repairing the cylinder of a boom for a CAT Material Handler (model number: 330DL). As he worked to align the pinhole of the boomstick and grapple, the dog bond came down and struck his hand. The employee sustained a fracture to his hand and laceration, which he was hospitalized for.

Incident on Dec 27, 2013: Employee is struck by cargo door and is injured

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on December 27, 2013, Employee #1, a truck driver, ha d arrived at a site to offload recycling material in a particular area. He parke d his roll-off box truck and went to the back to unlock and open the box cargo d oor, so that the load could be offloaded. After he took off the chain and opened the door, the pipes that had shifted to the back cargo door caused the door to open abruptly. As the door swung open, Employee #1 was struck by the cargo door and sustained a fractured pelvic. He was transported to a medical center, where he underwent surgery and was then hospitalized for postoperative treatment and c are.

Incident on Mar 4, 2011: Employee cleaning jammed material amputates three fingers

On March 4, 2011, Employee #1 was working on a metal recycling line identified a s WBC-3 by the employer. The employer engaged in scrap metal recycling operation s. This line had several stages for crushing large pieces of metal into smaller pieces. This accident occurred at the point where the crushed metal pieces were transferred from a conveyor into a hopper. Occasionally, the metal pieces got ja mmed going into the hopper, restricting the downward flow of the material. Emplo yee #1 was clearing the jam with a six-foot-long metal rod with a hook at the fa r end. As he was clearing a jam in the hopper, another large piece of metal fell on the hook. The metal rod got wedged in the material, and three fingers on Emp loyee #1's right hand were crushed in between the rod and the lip of the metal h opper. Employee #1 sustained crushing injuries to the middle, ring, and little f ingers on his right hand. He underwent surgery, and a portion of his right ring finger about 0.67 inches long was amputated. He was not hospitalized. Employee # 1 was not a contract employee.

Incident on Nov 16, 2010: Employee's arm is caught in conveyor and is injured

At approximately 4:30 a.m. on November 16, 2010, Employee #1 and four coworkers were working on a recycling plant's second floor platform and in the vicinity of a running unguarded conveyor belt and pulley. Employees were performing houseke eping duties, which included picking up scrap metal that had fallen from the con veyor belt. Employee #1 had his back to the unguarded conveyor belt and pulley. He was using a shovel to clean the area when his clothing was caught by the movi ng parts of the conveyor. He attempted to free himself, and his left arm was pul led into the conveyor. Coworkers stopped the conveyor via an emergency stop and notified the plant's supervision, who summoned emergency service personnel. The Fire Department responded and freed Employee #1 from the conveyor. They transpor ted him to a medical center. At the medical center, he underwent surgery for inj uries that included a compound fracture to his left arm and was then hospitalize d.

Incident on Aug 25, 2010: Employee is injured when struck by metal and plexiglass

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on August 25, 2010, Employee #1, a shear crane opera tor at a recycling plant, was removing scrap metal from a trash pile with the cr ane. He grabbed and lifted a pressurized compress gas cylinder with the crane's shear and attempted to move it from the trash pile. The force of the shear place d on the pressurized cylinder increased the pressure within the cylinder to a po int that the pressurized gas cylinder exploded. The top of gas cylinder propelle d into the direction of the cab of the crane, hitting the cab's metal cage, and driving the metal cage and plexiglass glass window into employee. Coworkers work ing in the immediate area responded to the accident and notified the company's m anagement. Company's management called for emergency assistance, and the local f ire department responded. The fire fighters pulled the employee out of the crane 's cab and transported him to the local hospital. Employee #1 sustained deep lac erations to his face, the back of his skull, and his right leg. He also puncture d his right lung and fractured his right arm. He sustained multiple fractures to his left leg, and it was later amputated. Employee #1 was hospitalized.