Strawberry Farming
Industry Summary
The Strawberry Farming industry has shown some reduction in numbers lately, with employment losses of -0.79% between 2014 and 2015 (the last reported data). There are currently 493 firms engaged in business within this industry and on average, each establishment employs 64 workers. With OSHA reported accident rates of less than that of the the Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming Industry as a whole, things have been relatively safe over the past five years.
The accident investigation below was opened on Wednesday, November 14th 2018 by OSHA representitives in Oxnard, CA at Success Valley Farms Llc. A 46 year old woman working as a Laborer was killed on the job when the
OSHA ID113176.015
Accident Date2018-11-12
Accident DegreeFatality
NarrativeAt 12:00 p.m. on November 12, 2018, Employee#1 was cutting larger holes into the plastic for the strawberry plants. Employee#1 suffered a heart attack and died.
The accident investigation below was opened on Monday, October 17th 2016 by OSHA representitives in Santa Maria, CA which had occured previously at Eat Sweet Farms . A 27 year old Laborer had been injured when the
OSHA ID93038.015
Accident Date2016-09-29
Accident DegreeNon Hospitalized injury
NarrativeAt 5:30 p.m. on September 29, 2016, an employee was assisting in the clean up from a days work of strawberry picking. After gathering plastic from the fields and placing a large hose in the back of a truck bed, the employee closed the truck's lift gate. During closing of the gate, he inadvertently placed his left index finger in between the bed of the truck and the lift gate, amputating his finger.
OSHA investigators arrived in Santa Maria, CA on Thursday, April 3rd 2014 and began an accident investigation after learning of an incident at Earth Kist Farms which had occured on Monday, January 13th 2014. A employee working as a Industrial truck was injured on the job when the employee was struck by falling object and fractured leg
OSHA ID202659025
Accident Date2014-01-13
Accident DegreeHospitalized injury
NarrativeAt approximately 7:45 a.m. on January 13, 2014, Employee #1, a tractor driver, and a crew of 16 employees were building a greenhouse on a strawberry farm. Employee #1 and another coworker, who was also a tractor driver, assisted with unrolling a roll of plastic film, which was to be used in the greenhouse construction. The rolls weighed approximately 2,880 pounds. A hang bar was inserted through the hollow part of the roll and secured at the ends onto a forklift attachment by rollers, which allow the hang bar and the roll of plastic to spin in place as it was unrolled. However, the hang bar was not secured against upward displacement. The roll hung at an approximate height of 9 ft as the plastic sheet was unfurled to build the greenhouse. Employee #1 was at one end of the roll and the coworker was at the other end, no more than 9 feet away. As the employees were pulling on the roll, the bar became dislodged and sprang upward. The roll of plastic fell on Employee #1, fracturing his left leg. The coworker was able to move out of the way in time to avoid injury. The supervisor was at another location at the time of the accident. The factor that contributed to the incident was due to the hang bar being not secured against upward displacement. Employee #1 was airlifted to a medical center, where he underwent surgery and was then hospitalized for postoperative treatment and care.
OSHA Inspection Activity
Accident Rate
5 Year Average
1.06
Last 12 Months
0
Reporting Statistics
Inspection Records: 228
8.3%
Violation Records:
Accident Records: 17