Utility Tree Service LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Sep 26, 2018: Foreman is found unresponsive

At 3:30 p.m. on September 26, 2019, a foreman was directing employees to stack up brush to be put into a wood chipper. An employee later noticed that the foreman was laying on the ground unresponsive. Believing that the foreman had a heat illness, the employees placed wet towels on him until EMS arrived. After examination at the hospital, it was determined that it was not heat related. related.

Incident on Sep 13, 2018: Employee injures back and foot in fall while performing util

At 10:37 a.m. on September 13, 2018, an employee was working for a firm that cleared vegetation away from power lines and near rights-of-way for utility companies and governmental agencies throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. He was working in a tree. He had climbed the tree anticipating that he would swing from the first tree to a second tree. In so doing, he would gain greater access to the tree he wanted to trim. He climbed the first tree tied into his life line. He attained a height of approximately 21 meters (70 feet). He then descended the tree to the swing over point. A coworker, who was working in an adjacent tree, descended his tree. The coworker removed a sapling so that the employee could swing from the first tree to the second one. While the employee was waiting for the coworker, the employee unclipped his flip line. He was attached to the tree only with his life line. At this time, he was approximately 15 meters (50 feet) up in the tree. The coworker removed the top of the sapling. He had his back to the employee. The coworker heard noises. He turned to see what the commotion was and saw the employee falling from the tree. The employee fell approximately 15 meters (50 feet) to the ground. He sustained crushed and broken heels, and a fracture to one or more vertebrae in his back. He was hospitalized.

Incident on Mar 26, 2018 (fatal): Employee falls from tree and is killed

At 8:45 a.m. on March 26, 2018, an employee and two coworkers were trimming a palm tree approximately 75 feet in height and located in a back yard corner next to a fence line between two private residential houses. The employee and coworkers worked for a full service tree removal and trimming company, authorized by a public utility company to perform tree trimming work. They arrived at the worksite about 8:00 a.m. One coworker was on the ground near the base of the tree outside the fall zone and the other was next door working in the back yard. The employee placed a 24 foot extension ladder at the base of the palm tree. After donning the saddle and gaffs and gathering a chainsaw and pole pruner, ascended the ladder. The employee used the gaffs and positioning lanyards to complete the climb to the fronds to be trimmed. The employee used the chainsaw and pole pruner to complete the frond trimming. The coworker who was next door saw the employee install a descent (climbing) rope across the top green fronds, but not on center, to create a false crotch. The employee connected the rope to his saddle, removed the positioning lanyards and put weight on the rope to descend to the ground. The rope slipped off the green fronds and employee fell approximately 70 feet to the ground at the base of the tree. A coworker found the employee unconscious and not breathing. The coworker called 911 and paramedics performed resuscitation. The employee was taken to Hoag Medical Center. The employee sustained trauma to multiple systems and died. DOSH was notified by phone by the fire department at 09:45 a.m. The employee was the direct supervisor of the two coworkers.

Incident on Jul 16, 2008 (fatal): Lineman tree trimming is electrocuted by overhead power line

On July 9, 2008, a journeyman lineman employed by Utility Tree Service was trimm ing trees along a telephone line when his bucket controls came into contact with the messenger line. The bucket controls and his line became entangled, which th rew his controls in the "up" position, and caused his bucket to climb. The worke r rode up approximately 18.67 ft. The bucket then struck a high voltage (12-Kv) line, which electrocuted the linesman.

Incident on Jan 31, 2007: Employee injured in fall from top of truck cab

At approximately 2:24 p.m. on January 31, 2007, Employee #1, of Utility Tree Ser vice, and a coworker were working at a black walnut orchard near Nicolaus, CA. T he employer is a tree trimming service, primarily engaged in line-clearance main tenance. Employee #1 was completing paperwork in the cab of the utility tree ser vice truck (1995 F700 with Aerial Lift of Connecticut (ALC) aerial lift, #848-57 06) while his coworker finished the trimming job. The coworker then stored the b oom and basket, came down from the equipment, and went to the back of the truck to finish clearing small limbs and debris. While his coworker was on the ground working, Employee #1 finished his paperwork and climbed up on the equipment to r emove the hydraulic tools from the bucket. He only recalls disconnecting the too ls from the large cab guard on top of the truck cab, and then being on the groun d. There were no witnesses to the accident. The coworker heard the tools fall, l ooked around the side of the vehicle, and found Employee #1 lying on the ground on his left side. Employee #1 had fallen 8 feet 4.5 inches from the cab guard. H e was hospitalized with fractures to his left eye socket and sinus areas, broken ribs (on his left side), a bruised kidney and a broken spleen.

Incident on Dec 17, 2004: Tree trimmer is hospitalized after fall from boom

On December 17, 2004, Employee #1, a tree trimmer employed by Utility Tree Servi ce, was in an elevated basket pruning a pecan tree. The upper boom holding the b asket was exerting a downward force on a limb about three or four inches in diam eter. The limb broke off, and the upper boom immediately dropped about two feet onto another limb. A springboard effect resulted, and Employee #1 was ejected fr om the basket, falling about 18 feet to the ground. A coworker, Employee #2, fou nd Employee #1 and called 911. The local EMT unit responded and transported Empl oyee #1 to Enloe Medical Center. Employee #1 was treated for broken ribs and a c ollapsed lung, and his spleen was removed. Employee #1 spent eight days in the h ospital.

Incident on Dec 23, 1999: Employee injured in fall from tree

Employee #1, a tree trimmer, climbed up a small oak tree to trim it. He put his flip line around the tree and tied it to his D-ring. The flip line is a line sim ilar to a lanyard. Employee #1 fell 25 feet to the ground when he leaned back on his flip line. He had tied his knot incorrectly and the knot came loose. Employ ee #1 fractured three vertebrae in his back and was hospitalized.

Incident on Jul 10, 1998: Employee fell from tree when his safety line slipped

An employee was performing line-clearance tree trimming. He climbed to a working height and fastened his safety line to a crotch. When he climbed higher to reac h a limb, his safety line lifted out of the crotch. As he leaned out to begin hi s cut, the safety line slipped out of the crotch, and the employee fell from the tree. He suffered a fracture to the L1-3 vertebra and was hospitalized for 9 da ys.

Incident on Apr 15, 1997: Employee fractured back in fall over tailgate of truck

A crew supervisor for a tree-trimming company was engaged in a line-clearance op eration. He climbed into the back of the service truck assigned to him for this job and secured the pole pruners he had used in the proper position. As he was t urning to get out of the truck, he tripped over the tailgate and fell to the gro und. He was hospitalized with a fracture in his lower back.

Incident on Sep 30, 1996: Employee injured in fall while descending tree

At approximately 3:30 p.m. on September 30, 1996, Employee #1 was descending a t ree after completing trimming work. His taut line hitch ran out of climb line an d he fell between 10 and 15 ft, suffering a fracture of the T11 vertebrae.

Incident on Aug 10, 1993: Fall - lost footing on cliff face

A tree trimmer was descending a hillside. As he was descending a 16.8-meter-high cliff wall that had a slope of 3:4, he lost his footing and fell about 8.5 mete rs to the bottom of the cliff. He fractured his left ankle and several ribs on h is right side. He was hospitalized for his injuries.