OSHA Finds Zip-Line Tragedy Could Have Been Prevented
The agency said that required safety measures could have prevented a fatal fall at a zip-line attraction in California.
An OSHA investigation into a fatal fall at a California zip-line attraction found that the incident could have been entirely avoided had the company implemented required safety measures.
The incident, which happened last year, involved a customer and a worker. It was determined by the investigation, according to a press release, that after grabbing a zip-line harness on a customer to steady them as they landed on the tower platform, the worker and the customer were both pulled off the zip-line tower. The worker let go of the harness and fell about 50 feet to the valley floor.
Inspectors found La Jolla Zp Zoom Ziplines failed to install a guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest system. The company also did not properly train employees on fall hazards and how to recognize them, as required.
OSHA said in the release that the company failed to assess the workplace to determine the presence of hazards and did not report a work-related hospitalization within 24 hours.
“La Jolla Zip Zoom Ziplines failed to meet their obligation to protect their employees,” OSHA Area Director Derek Engard in San Diego in a press release. “If they had simply provided the proper protective equipment, this senseless tragedy could have been prevented.”
The company has been cited for four serious safety violations and proposed $24,861 in penalties.