Out of the Past: Feb. 26, 2020

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, February 25, 2020

10 Years Ago

Road worker accident draws state citation

CANYON CITY – The state is fining Grant County $12,900 for safety violations stemming from an accident that injured a county road worker last fall. The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA) issued the penalties last month after an investigation into the incident, which occurred Nov. 17 in the Monument area. Alan Hickerson, a road crewmember, broke both his legs in the mishap. An equipment operator, he was among five workers assigned to fell trees along County Road 3.

The state’s investigator found that Hickerson was falling a danger tree when he severed the tree from the stump and it sat back on his saw bar, binding the saw. As he tried to free the saw, the tree fell and struck him, dragging him partway down the hill.

The state agency cited the county for several safety violations, starting with the failure to properly train or supervise the workers for the tree falling project.

The citation also said the county failed to have a safety plan that considered such factors as wind direction and tree decay, and that workers lacked a safe escape during tree falling, felled trees in close proximity and cut notches of an unsafe size.

The citation also said the county failed to:

? Provide flaggers at the work zone, as required by law.

? Have first aid supplies – specifically a stretcher and blanket – at the scene.

? Ensure that emergency medical care was available for the injured worker.

The investigator’s synopsis said others in the crew came immediately to the scene of the accident, asked Hickerson about his injuries, and began discussing the need to get him up to the road. The victim asked that nobody touch him, the report said, and he crawled up to the road and pulled himself into a work pickup.

He was taken to Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day.

“Nobody called 911,” the synopsis concludes.

The accident was reported to the Oregon Emergency Response System by a union rep for the road workers, the OR-OSHA report said.

The county also was fined for not having an effective safety committee in place at the Road Department, and ordered to remedy that situation by Feb. 26.

In an issue unrelated to the accident, the state fined the county for not keeping the required injury and illness records during 2008.

Grant County Road master Mark Hensley said this week that all the concerns have been addressed.

He also said the county won’t be using its own crews to cut hazard trees anymore.

“We just did away with the use of power saws,” he said.

Instead, a county worker will identify the trees for such projects, and a contractor will be hired to do the work.

As for the safety committee issue, Hensley said the county does have such a committee but that the Road Department didn’t have a representative on it at the time of the accident.

“We do now,” he said.

County Judge Mark Webb said the county is contemplating an appeal, but that’s pending receipt of further documentation from OR-OSHA.

He said the county wants to see the more detail in the agency’s reasoning on specific charges.

25 Years Ago 

John Day Police Criticized for lack of Investigation

Halloween night vandalism report put to the council

John Day City Council members last Tuesday evening directed City Administrator Bill Deist to investigate complaints leveled against Police Chief James “Swede” Larson and the police department following vandalism to vehicles on Halloween night.

Addressing the council during a portion of each set aside for the appearance of interested citizens, Jim Spell asked about the chain of command within the city and how complaints were resolved. Spell said he notified the police department after eight tires on his vehicles were slashed Halloween Night, and that Larson responded to investigate the complaint. Spell said he believed the vandalism was done in retaliation for work he performs for the States Children Services Division, and he said he told Larson he had an idea of who had done the damage.

He said no follow up was done on his suggestion .

Spell also said that many of his neighbors are elderly and keep a fairly vigilant watch over the area. He said he suggested Larson Canvass surrounding neighbors to see if any has seen or heard anything unusual. He said no follow-up information to citizens who have filed a complaint. “Is this my process for a grievance?” He asked council members.

Spell went on to d=say he asked for a copy of the report, and was told by Larson that copies of reports cost $5 dollars each. He said Larson told him to have his insurance company request and pay for the report.

But spell said he wanted a second copy of the report for his own use, and with $5 in hand, he followed the policy and went to the police department to get a copy.

Once there, however, he said he received no help from dispatchers who refused to ,make available any copy of the report without first going through Larson. He said he asked what city policy was regarding complaints and grievances and had heard nothing back, leading to his appearance before the council.

Councilor Leanard Trafton said Spell was not the only one vandalized on Halloween night, and said he knew of at least three other people whose tires were slashed.

Because the item was not placed on the agenda, it required a majority vote of council embers bring it to the floor for further discussion and possible action. The issue passed unanimously.

Counselor Al Meyer said it was the responsibility of Deist to look into the complaints raised by Spell and to report back to the council. Deist’s report is expected at the council’s Jan. 31 meeting.

75 Years Ago

Groundhog Plays A Trick or Did He?

Grant County has been having another taste of winter this week with frequent snow flurries, and the mercury dropping close to the zero mark a couple of mornings. Just what Mr. Ground Hog did last Saturday, no one can say; it was a cold, dismal day, with considerable snow falling and no sign of “old Sol,” but anyway, it looks like he played a trick on us and we’ll have winter for a while yet. (P.S. – Since the above was written the weather has moderated). As we go to Press Wednesday the sun is shinning brightly, so perhaps the ground hog “knew his stuff” after all, and spring may be here sooner than we expect it.