UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: On September 20, 2010, Employee #1, who was employed by an electrical contractor, was working as an electrician's helper at a jobsite in San Francisco. Employee #1's employer, who was away from the site, was subcontracted to install overhead lighting fixtures and perform other electrical work in a new building. Employee #1 was operating a Snorkel Model Number S1930 scissor lift to pull and staple wiring on the ceiling of the hallway on the ground floor. The wires were to be later attached to an overhead lighting fixture. Employee #1 was in the scissor lift, at a height of approximately 15 feet and in the vicinity of a junction box located near the ceiling. He had to lean over past the railing to reach the junction box that was approximately two feet away. The platform of the scissor lift suddenly elevated, and Employee #1 was pinned between its top rail and a wooden floor joist. Another worker saw that Employee #1 was in trouble and came to his aid. The general contractor operated another scissor lift to reach Employee #1 and then brought him to the ground. Emergency services were called, and the San Francisco Fire Department responded. Employee #1 was taken to San Francisco General Hospital by ambulance. He was hospitalized and treated for fractured ribs, a punctured lung, lacerations to his liver and pancreas, and a bruised prostate. Employee #1's spleen was removed. The San Francisco Fire Department but not the employer reported the incident to Cal/OSHA. The general contractor, Employee #1, the employer, a coworker, and another employee were interviewed during the course of the investigation. The employer was cited for failure to train, which is a general violation. A Cal/OSHA regulation required employees to be instructed in the safe use of the work platform, and Employee #1 was not instructed before operating the scissor lift for the first time. The violation was classified as "general" because the Division could not establish substantial probability. The employer was also cited for not notifying the Division about the incident. Other violations were observed, and the employer was cited accordingly. The Division ordered the scissor lift to be preserved on the day of the inspection. A forensics company was contracted by Employee #1's attorney to evaluate the lift. During the examination, the scissor lift had not demonstrated any unintended movement. Therefore, the cause of the platform's sudden elevation, per Employee #1's account, was undetermined.