Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120057062 - Matt Scroggings Custom Plastering

Inspection Information - Office: Labor Enforcement Task Force (Letf) Unit - South

Investigation Summary

On July 15, 1993, Employee #1 and several other coworkers were plastering a house. Employee #1 was standing on the deck of the house at a point where the joist had been spaced about 24 inches apart. At the last section next to the side of the house, the joist was spaced at 21 inch intervals. The permanent deck was not in place because plastering still needed to be done. Instead, the joist was covered with sheets of plywood that were up against the house wall and setting on the 2 inch edge of the joist. Because of some metal flashing on the wall, a nail could not be used to secure the plywood to the joist at the edge. Therefore, the sheet of plywood was nailed to one joist back (21 inches) to secure it. A coworker was plastering the wall and needed to plaster next to the sheet of plywood. He moved the plywood back about 3/4 inch, saw that the plywood now overhung the side of the end joist by about 1 inch, and nailed it down. After the coworker was done with his part of the plastering he washed off the plywood. A short time later, Employee #1 came along doing the final texturing. When he stopped on this section of plywood, which was still wet, it bent and slipped off the end joist. The plywood flipped up and Employee #1 fell about 14 feet through the 21 inch opening between the joists. A general citation was issued even though there was a serious injury, since the employer believed that the covering was secured.

Keywords: JOIST, WOOD SLAB, UNSECURED, SLIP, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, FLOOR OPENING, COMMUNICATION