Water Agency worker seriously injured in 75-foot tumble
A Yuba County Water Agency employee suffered serious injuries when the heavy equipment vehicle he was operating tumbled down a 75-foot embankment near Log Cabin Dam, an agency spokesman said Friday.
The agency reported the May 8 incident in a letter on Friday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“The accident was serious and resulted in the employee having to spend several days in the hospital. The YCWA employee was then transferred to a transitional facility prior to being able to return home this week,” agency spokesman Alex Boesch said in an email. “He is continuing to recover, and we hope to have him back at work as soon as possible.”
According to the agency’s letter, the employee, whose name was not released, was “conducting routine vegetation management.”
The employee was trimming roadside vegetation with a new lawnmower attachment on the front end of a skid steer on the east side of Log Cabin Road.
A skid steer is a small, rigidframe, engine-powered machine with lift arms used to attach a wide variety of labor-saving tools.
“The employee attempted to maneuver the skid steer in reverse and unintentionally drove the right side of the tracks off the embankment,” the agency said in its letter. “The skid steer became unstable and overturned onto its right side. The vehicle came to rest over- turned on its roof facing north approximately 75 feet down the embankment.”
The employee radioed for help and was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center for treatment.
The agency said it is “taking corrective action measures to address the root cause and prevent future occurrences.”
Agency employees were told “to temporarily stop mowing near embankments,” the letter said. “In addition, a draft of the general driving safety policy has been created and is in review.”
The agency also said it has submitted the results of its investigation to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Gray Avenue, between Butte House Road and Highway 20, in Yuba City is closed to through traffic from 8 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Sunday. The incorrect starting time was published in “Street closures set in Yuba City” in Friday’s edition. Marysville office, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive Business hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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