Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120274584 - Wohlwend Construction

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on September 28, 2000, Employee #1 was engaged in a house framing operation. On the date of the accident, the employee was trying to level a 2 ft by 12 ft wallboard at about 10 feet above the ground. He was standing on an incomplete scaffold at a height of approximately 5.5 feet while pulling the nails from a wood board to level the wallboard. The left end of the scaffold's plank was nailed into the wood frames of the house, while the right end was hanging on a protruding 2 ft by 4 ft board. The scaffold had no legs to support the employee's weight. There were no warning signs and barricades on the job-made wooden scaffold to prevent its use. Employee #1 was stepping onto the right end of the plank when the scaffold collapsed, dropping the employee to the ground. The employee landed on his right leg, fracturing the large leg bone above the knee. The employee's supervisor was working a few feet away and witnessed the accident. The employee was transported to the hospital for emergency treatment and operation. The employee was hired 7 months before the accident and had five years of experience. A factor contributing to the accident included the employer's failure to prevent the employee from using the incomplete scaffold.

Keywords: FRACTURE, WARNING LINE, CARPENTER, CONSTRUCTION, SCAFFOLD COLLAPSE, FALL, WORK SURFACE, LEG