Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120208343 - Massie & Company

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On April 3, 2007, an employee was assigned to help paint walls in the company's warehouse. He obtained a nearby extension ladder to reach areas that could not be accessed from the floor level. The ladder was missing its foot and pad on one rail and it had not been repaired before it was used and it was not placed in a location where it could not be accessed, In addition, it was not marked to advise workers not to use toe ladder. The employee set the ladder on the painted, concrete floor and raised the extension ladder against the wall. The ladder was not tied, blocked, or otherwise secured. At the time of the accident, the employee was painting at a maximum height of 15 to 15.5 feet. Just one of the rails resting on the floor was equipped with afoot and pad. Based upon markings on the wall, the employee's height and anthropometric data, the employee must have been standing on a rung of the ladder that was no higher that 8.5- 9 feet above the floor. At some point in the painting operation, the ladder slipped out from under the employee. The employee fractured his knee in a fall, which resulted in hospitalization. Within a day of the serious accident, the ladder was destroyed and was not available for evaluation at the time of the accident investigation.

Keywords: KNEE, FRACTURE, LADDER, SLIP, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, LOST BALANCE, PAINTER