Inspection Detail

Inspection: 103469086 - James Luterbach Construction Co., Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Milwaukee Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was working on a scaffold as an apprentice mason. He was cutting concrete block and filling in a 16 ft 8 in. steel lintel beam (W-12 type) with a 15 in. wide cantilevered plate flange resting with an 8 in. bearing on an 8 in. masonry block wall. The 863 lb lintel became dislodged and fell across Employee #1's chest and neck, pinning him to the scaffold plank. Employee #1 was hospitalized. Resolution of forces acting on the lintel indicate that a force of more than 83.67 ft/lb would be required to initiate movement. Employee #1 does not clearly recall the accident; however, he stated that he may have used the lintel to swing himself inside through the window opening. It can only be surmised that since no other forces were present, Employee #1's body weight of 150 lb, applied at the cantilevered flange, exceeded equilibrium minimally by 9.92 ft/lb.

Keywords: FRACTURE, STEEL BEAM, WALL, UNSECURED, PINNED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, BACK, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT