The state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal OSHA) said Wednesday that it probably will not open an investigation into an injury collision Tuesday between two earth movers in the Santa Maria Riverbed.

An investigation had not been opened as of Wednesday afternoon, said OSHA spokeswoman Erika Monterroza, because it did not seem that any health and safety violations took place. Depending on any additional information that came forward, an investigation could still be initiated, she said, but was unlikely to happen.

Monterroza had said Tuesday that if someone injured in an industrial accident is in the hospital overnight for any reason other than observation, OSHA typically conducts an investigation.

One of the two men involved in the crash suffered serious injuries, including significant bleeding and difficulty breathing, Capt. Jeff Van Nest of the Santa Maria Fire Department said, and the other man had minor bruising.

The severely hurt man was taken by ambulance to Marian Medical Center, Van Nest reported, and remained there overnight, Monterroza said.

The men, both Union Asphalt employees, were each operating a scraper on the south side of the river where they were building a channel in the riverbed about a mile east of Suey Crossing when the vehicles collided about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, Van Nest has said.

Bob Kober, spokesman for Union Asphalt, has said that the scrapers accidentally got too close.

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The names of those involved have not been released.

Kober said Wednesday that the seriously injured man was in stable condition at Marian Medical Center.

He said he could not speak to Cal OSHA’s tentative decision not to do an investigation. Kober said that Union Asphalt was conducting its own investigation but did not know how long it would take.

“Something like this you don’t do in a few hours,” he said.

Monterroza said Wednesday that the scrapers’ crash was a vehicle accident, and “sounds like one of those occurrences that unfortunately does happen.”

Samantha Yale can be reached at 739-2159 or syale@santamariatimes.com.

July 31, 2008