Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119967271 - M A Mortenson Company

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:25 p.m. on February 5, 1996, Employee #1 was at the used washwater filter 3-6 vault with his foreman and a coworker. They were using a crane and hoist arrangement to remove dismantled scaffold material and planks from the bottom vault deck. The foreman was standing on the top deck to signal the crane operator and Employee #1 was standing on the intermediate deck. The coworker was on the bottom deck, from which the planks and scaffold were to be removed. While the coworker was busy strapping on the first load of scaffold parts and planks, Employee #1 was idle and he began to dismantle the scaffold from the second stage. He then heard someone call out "Watch out for cable," or something similar. When Employee #1 turned around, he lost his balance and fell 12 ft onto the concrete floor. He was hospitalized with multiple fractures. Employee #1, who was experienced and well trained, had apparently acted independently and without his supervisor's knowledge, in dismantling the scaffold. No citations were issued to the employer.

Keywords: FRACTURE, DISMANTLING, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, NOISE, FALL, LOST BALANCE