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California Department of Health Services
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document is available in spanish. (Este documento
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This document is a summary of a larger
document in english.
SUMMARY: CASE
292-327-01
Some
greenhouses grow vegetables from seeds. As the plants grow,
they need to be trimmed. A celery cutter came back from his
afternoon break to continue cutting celery plants. The cutting
machine he used looked like a lawn mower. An extension cord
was needed to reach an electrical outlet. The extension cord
he used was missing the third prong. Also, puddles of water
were on the floor from watering the plants. Shortly after
grabbing the cutting machine, he received an electrical shock.
He couldn't let go of the handle. He screamed for help.
A co-worker
ran over and unplugged the cutting machine. The injured worker
fell to the ground, dazed and weak. Their supervisor told
the co-worker to drive the injured worker to a walk-in clinic.
From there he was driven to a hospital, where he was treated
and spent the night.
How
could this injury have been prevented?
- Employers
should make sure work areas are free of hazards (such as
water on the floor).
- Supervisors
and workers should call 911 if someone has an electrical
shock.
- Employers
should use injury prevention programs. These programs can
help employers identify and fix hazards.
- Workers
should wear electrically insulated gloves and boots when
working in wet areas with electric equipment.
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Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
document,
CDHS(COHP)-FI-93-005-28
,
was extracted from a series of the Nurses Using Rural Sentinal
Events (NURSE) project, conducted by the California Occupational
Health Program of the California Department of Health Services,
in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. Publication date: March 1993.
The
NURSE (Nurses Using Rural Sentinel Events) project is conducted
by the California Occupational Health Program of the California
Department of Health Services, in conjunction with the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The program's
goal is to prevent occupational injuries associated with agriculture.
Injuries are reported by hospitals, emergency medical services,
clinics, medical examiners, and coroners. Selected cases are
followed up by conducting interviews of injured workers, co-workers,
employers, and others involved in the incident. An on-site
safety investigation is also conducted. These investigations
provide detailed information on the worker, the work environment,
and the potential risk factors resulting in the injury. Each
investigation concludes with specific recommendations designed
to prevent injuries, for the use of employers, workers, and
others concerned about health and safety in agriculture.
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