Occupational Health Watch: August 2015

Preventing Worker Drownings

José never learned how to swim. The 45-year-old lake maintenance worker had been clearing weeds and algae from lakes for 10 years. But one day in September 2014, Jose fell into a golf course lake and drowned.

José's co-workers (and family members) tried to rescue him, but couldn't due to the dense weeds. His employer had not provided water safety training or life jackets to him or any of the crew.

José's tragic death and recommendations on how others can avoid similar incidents are the focus of a new digital story by OHB's California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program.

The 6-minute video reenacts the events that led up to José's death and what could have been done to prevent it.

Watch the video.

Watch the video in Spanish.

Resources

Additional Drowning Prevention Materials

FACE Program Digital Stories

Email Occupational Health Watch (OHW@cdph.ca.gov) with feedback or change of address.