Whiteleaf LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Apr 13, 2017 (fatal): Employee strikes head against overpass and later dies

At about 10:50 a.m. on April 13, 2017, Employee #1's head struck against an overpass while standing on top of pallets filled with 50 pound bags of thermoplastic pavement marking material measuring approximately 42 feet long by 36 feet wide by 59 feet high. The pallets were located in the Bagging Area of the Peterbilt Road Striping Truck, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): 3BPZXJEX8EF241456; Thermoplastic Striping Pump: Model Number: 4 - 16000 - AD -G; Serial Number: 13417. This area was located between the truck cab and the kettles (melter tanks) feet and used to store extra bags of thermoplastic. The dimension of this area was approximately 65 feet long by 96 feet wide and 55.5 feet from ground. The accident occurred in a traffic circle leading under an overpass. Employee #1 was tasked to feed bags of thermoplastic powder into the melter. The melter was a tank that heated the thermoplastic material into a liquid. The employer was contracted to repaint traffic lines onto the roadway in a county. The team members prepared their equipment at a nearby convenience store which was approximately 1/2 mile away from their work zone. The crew leader instructed the members to load up and head out. The team included a four vehicle convoy. The crew leader drove the road striping truck with an operator sitting in the operator's seat located at the rear of the truck. Employee #1 was located in the Bagging Area. When the convoy departed the convenience store parking lot, the road striping truck lead the convoy with Employee #1 standing on top of the pallets and placing him approximately 114.5 feet above the ground. The road striping truck entered the circle and headed towards the overpass which was approximately 192 feet above the ground. As the road striping truck approached the overpass, Employee #1 was facing the rear of the vehicle. When the road striping truck drove under the overpass, the back of Employee #1's head struck against the side of the overpass. At this moment, the remaining vehicles in the convoy never entered the traffic circle due to the high volume of traffic. Employee #1 sustained head trauma and second degree burns to both hands and was hospitalized. On April 24, 2017 at about 4:30p.m. Employee #1 passed away. Employee #1 did not use the passenger seat in the cab or the operator's seat located at the rear of the truck. Employees overfilled the bagging area with six pallets of thermoplastic bags. This condition did not allow Employee #1 use of one of the two fold down platforms measuring approximately 38.5 feet long by 18.5 feet wide. long by 18.5 feet wide.