FACE Facts: An Orchard Worker Dies After He Is Stung by Honey Bees

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  California. Department of Public Health
• Description:
  A 49-year-old Hispanic orchard worker, Alejandro* (*Not the victim's real name), died when he was stung by numerous honey bees while spraying dates with high-pressure water in a date palm orchard. Alejandro was in an open raised bucket that was towed by a co-worker in a tractor. He sprayed close to a hidden beehive, and multiple bees began to sting him. He was allergic to bee stings. What went wrong? Alejandro didn't have a prescription for medicine (epinephrine auto-injector) that would treat severe allergic reactions. Alejandro and his co-workers were not aware there were bees or hives in the date palm orchard where they were spraying water. Alejandro and his co-workers were not trained on insect bite hazards. What should be done? Workers who are allergic to insect stings or bites should visit a health care professional to get a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector and carry it with them at all times. Conduct a hazard assessment of the work area before work begins. If a beehive or nest is found, it should be removed by a bee removal service. Agricultural employers should train workers in insect sting incident response and first aid, including how to use an epinephrine auto-injector. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Hypersensitivity Insecta Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Workers Allergic Reactions Fatalities Injuries Injury Prevention Insects Outdoor Workers Safety Practices
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  California Department of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059460
• Citation:
  Richmond, CA: California Department of Public Health, 2018 May; :1-2
• Contact Point Address:
  California Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Branch, FACE Program, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, P-3, Richmond, CA 94804
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  FACE facts: an orchard worker dies after he is stung by honey bees
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7b6c8810185ebca51a5fd10668639c9900a5a812067ade10e83aab33e9d159a33de33cc240ede1920547a57a43b13b45da2936f67567587cd01d613adc3c0767
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228956/cdc_228956_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 317.37 KB ]