Sukut Construction, LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Oct 17, 2005: Employee is injured in bulldozer roll-over

On October 17, 2005, Employee #1, with Sukut Construction, Inc., was operating a John Deere 450/550 bulldozer at a construction site during a heavy thunderstorm with rain and lightning. The foreman had directed him to clear away some brush at the top of a hill, which had a slope of about 45 to 60 degrees on one side. E mployee #1 was wearing a seat belt at the time. He stated that he remembers push ing some brush down the slope when the tractor started to tumble end-over-end. T he tractor landed upright at the bottom of the slope. Employee #1 was able to dr ive to a clearing about 75 ft away, where he was found by the foreman, unconscio us, lying on his back. Employee #1 had last driven this type of bulldozer about 15 years ago. He normally drove much larger equipment with different controls an d handling characteristics. The foreman stated that he told Employee #1 to immed iately operate the piece of equipment. No training was provided on the hazards o r operation of the bulldozer, or the hazards unique to the new job assignment.

Incident on Oct 31, 2005: Employee is burned in fire welding a fuel tank, dies later

At approximately 6:15 p.m. on October 31, 2005, Employee #1, of Sukut Constructi on Inc., was doing welding work to fix the leak on a Caterpillar fuel tank, mode l Number 651 B, at a construction site. There was still some diesel fuel left in the storage tank, with a capacity of 200 gallons, which was not emptied and flu shed prior to welding. There was no testing done to determine the vapor concentr ations and lower explosive limit of fuel vapors inside tank. At about 6:30 p.m., a fire erupted during the welding work due to ignition of fuel in tank. The fir e quickly spread in the work area and ignited Employee #1's coverall, resulting in third-degree burns to his lower torso. He was transported to Foothill Presbyt erian Hospital by paramedics and later transferred to Sherman Oaks Burn Center i n Sherman Oaks, where he died on November 15, 2005 due to burn injuries.

Incident on Oct 31, 2005: Employee is burned in welding incident

On October 31, 2005, Employee #1, a welder, was involved with the erection of op en web-steel joists when he was severely burned. Employee #1 was hospitalized an d treated for his injury.

Incident on Jul 19, 1995: Flash fireball injures employee operating grader

On July 19, 2005, the employer, a contractor, engaged in construction grading. T he employer was in the process of mass grading acreage for a new residential con struction site. Employee #1, a heavy machine operator, was a full-time employee wearing shorts and a T-shirt. He was operating a Caterpillar Waterpull Grader, M odel #37-30C (79P359), and grading in a straight line approximately two to three miles per hour, when the machine's steering pump pressure hose o-ring failed. A large fireball resulted when the atomized hydraulic oil was ignited by the engi ne heat. The fireball engulfed the cab area. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital where he was treated for flash burns to the inside of his left leg, out side of his right leg, hand to elbow on his right arm, and the right side of fac e. He remained hospitalized more than 24 hours.

Incident on Jun 2, 2004: Employee is injured when scraper jumps embankment

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 2, 2004, an employee was operating a scraper , Caterpillar Model Number 651B, Serial Number 51-07, down a steep hill and lost control of the scraper. The employee failed to make a right turn and instead hi t an embankment. The scraper jumped over the embankment and fell into a pond. Th e accident caused a severe laceration on the employee's left ear, fractured ribs , caused back injury and collapsed lungs. Two surgeries were performed on his sp inal cord and he was hospitalized for four weeks.

Incident on Mar 13, 2004: Employee suffers fracture when struck by broken chain

At approximately 8:45 a.m. on March 13, 2004, Employee #1, a welder and mechanic and a coworker, the site foreman, were replacing the right track on a caterpill ar tractor (D-10N) that weighs approximately 9,256 pounds. The track was disconn ected and laid on the ground, the tractor was lifted off the ground using its ow n hydraulic jacks, and wooden blocks were placed under the tractor. One end of a n alloy chain sling (0.3125-in., Grade 8, Campbell C8, 4,500 pounds working load limit) was rigged to the track and the other end was rigged to a front-wheeled loader. Employee #1 stood 30 ft to 40 ft back, while the coworker got in the loa der and started pulling the track from underneath the tractor. The chain broke a nd a chain's hook was propelled toward Employee #1, striking him in his right lo wer leg. Employee #1 suffered a fracture and was hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 24, 2003: Employee injured when struck in the head by flying object

On February 24, 2003, Employee #1 was operating a Caterpillar Scraper (Model Num ber 657-B) to move dirt from one part of the construction site to another. The s craper was equipped with an open cab with roll-over protection and a seat belt. There were several similar scrapers operating in the area. Another employee was operating a bulldozer (Model Number D9N) in the near vicinity. After dumping a l oad of dirt, Employee #1 was driving the scraper back to the pickup point when h e got hit in the head above his right ear. He got knocked down and hit his foreh ead on the steering wheel. Employee #1 asked another employee, who was driving a nother scraper ahead of him, to pull over and stop. Employee #1 was holding the right side of his head and told the employee that something hit him, but he did not know what it was. The foreman came over treated Employee #1's wound. Employe e #1 drove himself to the Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach where he was t reated for a depressed fracture in the skull. From the nature of the wound and t he dirt around the wound area, the foreman and the other employee concluded that Employee #1 was hit by a flying rock which may have been kicked up by the bulld ozer operating nearby. Employee #1 was not wearing a hard hat at the time of the accident. Employee #1 required two steel plates installed in his skull and was hospitalized for nine days.

Incident on Sep 5, 2000: Employee injured by falling object

Employee #1 was using a shovel to remove debris from a curb and gutter area duri ng a demolition project. A multi-purpose industrial vehicle, equipped with a det achable demolition breaker device was operating nearby to break-up concrete wall footings. The breaker device broke loose from its attachment point, fell and st ruck Employee #1 injuring his back, left leg and foot. Employee #1 was hospitali zed.

Incident on Jul 31, 2000 (fatal): Employee killed when run over by motor grader

At approximately 12:20 p.m. on July 31, 2000, Employee #1 was acting as a grade checker while a coworker used a motor grader to finish the surface on a roadway under construction at a new housing development. The driver was following the pa int markings that outlined the right edge of the cut of the roadway and, as he c ompleted his pass and rounded the corner, he raised his blade approximately 8 in . to 10 in. to prepare for another pass. At this juncture, the coworker saw a wa ter truck traveling downhill on the street he had just graded, and spotted Emplo yee #1 on the opposite side of the street. The driver was backing the grader in second gear, at a speed of between 4 and 5 mph to let the truck pass by safely, when, just as the water truck passed by, he felt that he had rolled over a rock. Looking down in front of his rear tire, he saw Employee #1 lying face down on t he ground. The driver stopped immediately, lowered the left side of the blade in to the dirt of the street to hold the grader in place, and then shut off the eng ine. He called to several other coworkers standing off to the left of the roadwa y and asked them to call the foreman and tell him that he had had an accident. T he foreman arrived at the scene and covered Employee #1's body while directing h is office to call 911. Local fire department personnel responded and contacted t he coroner and Cal/OSHA. The backup alarm on the grader was not working at the t ime of the accident and the employer was cited accordingly.

Incident on Apr 28, 1992: Employee injured in roll down slope

Employee #1, of Sukut Construction, slipped on a 30 degree slope, lost his footi ng, and rolled 15 to 20 ft, spraining his shoulder. The slope was natural terrai n.