Inspection Detail

Inspection: 124673740 - James E. Van Horn

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

On March 12, 1995, Employee #1 and his uncle were welding rail brackets inside an elevator shaft at Nan Ya Plastics. The rails had been temporarily welded and the two were to finish welding. As they worked up the shaft, a 4 wheeled Miller welding machine was unloaded on the floor above the floor they were working. The welding machine was taken off the elevator on the 6th floor and the two employees rode on top of the car down to the 5th floor. The leads of the welding machine hung from the 6th floor down to the 5th floor, a distance of about 20 ft. Employee #1 noticed a small flame, apparently from hot welding slag, in the pit and he and his uncle decided to check it out. Evidently Employee #1's uncle pushed the controls on top of the car to go down, but instead (the leads) opened the door on the 6th floor and pulled the welding machine into the shaft, hitting Employee #1. He fell approximately 75 ft into the pit. The gas tank on the machine ruptured and the flame in the pit ignited. Employee #1 died.

Keywords: FIRE, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, ELEVATOR SHAFT