PAUMA VALLEY – OSHA has proposed nearly $25,000 in penalties against a Pauma Valley zipline company for allegedly failing to provide adequate safety measures that could have prevented a worker’s fatal fall, it was announced Thursday.
The proposed penalties against La Jolla Zip Zoom Ziplines stem from the death of 34-year-old Joaquin Romero, who fell about 50 feet on Oct. 30, 2021. He died in a hospital two days later. According to an OSHA investigation, the zipline company “failed to install a guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest system” and also did not train employees on how to recognize fall hazards. The company also “failed to assess the workplace to determine the presence of hazards and did not report a work-related hospitalization within 24 hours,” according to OSHA.
In addition to $24,861 in proposed penalties, OSHA cited the company for “four serious safety violations. OSHA Area Director Derek Engard said, “La Jolla Zip Zoom Ziplines failed to meet their obligation to protect their employees. If they had simply provided the proper protective equipment, this senseless tragedy could have been prevented.”