Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120319256 - Kerry'S Roofing

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On March 24, 2004, an employee was instructed by the employer to return to the job site, where he had worked the day before. According to the employer, he told the employee to go to the job site and "get set up", which meant unloading the truck and wait until he got there. The employee arrived at the site at about 8:30 a.m., in the employer's truck with the equipment on it. He took the 32-ft extension ladder off the truck and set the ladder up against the wall of the building. He then climbed up to the roof, which is a flat roof, 20 ft above ground with a 3-ft. parapet. He climbed onto the roof and then secured the ladder with a rope anchored to a pipe on the roof. He then climbed back down the ladder, picked up the wheel pulley with rope and placed his arm through the wheel pulley spokes and climbed back up the ladder with both hands free. He got onto the roof, set the wheel pulley down and then clamped it to the second and third rungs down from the top of the ladder. The employee then lowered the rope with hook down over the pulley and down to the ground. He then stepped over the edge of the parapet on to the rungs of the ladder, which would be on the fifth rung of the ladder. He got both feet on the rung and both hands on the sides of the ladder. He took another step down to the next rung and got both feet on the rung when he "felt the wind come up" and saw the ladder moving away from the wall. He reached out to grab the wall but could not reach it and the ladder was moving off to the right. He looked down and saw the truck to his right, so when he started falling, he tried to fall to the left in order to avoid hitting the truck. He fell about 18 ft. to the dirt ground. The Employer got to the site a few minutes later, while he was still on the ground. The ambulance was called and he was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital. The fall resulted in a broken left wrist and nerve damage to the elbow. He was hospitalized for two days, and had surgery on the wrist to insert a plate and eight screws. He had subsequent out-patient surgery to remove the plate and to repair nerve damage on the elbow.

Keywords: LADDER, FALL, ELBOW, WRIST