Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1251268.015 - Select Plastering Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At 9:35 a.m. on July 18, 2017, Employee #1 and Coworker #1, employed by a lathing and plastering company, were working at the construction site of a new residential development. They were unloading scaffolding equipment from the back of a flatbed truck, in preparation for erecting the scaffold for use by the lathing and plastering crew. Employee #1 had placed a wood plank, extending from the edge of the flatbed to the ground, to serve as a ramp for unloading. Holding two metal scaffolding frames, Employee #1 began to descend the plank. The plank displaced from the flatbed edge and fell to the ground, and Employee #1 also fell, a fall height of 4 feet 3 inches. He landed on the base of his spine. Emergency services were called, and Employee #1 was transported to the hospital. He was admitted and treated for a fractured lumbar disc. During the subsequent investigation, it was determined that no steps had been taken to secure the wood plank at either end. Employee #1, who had worked as a foreman for the employer, was wearing standard PPE at the time of the incident, and had received training as a competent person in the hazards, erection, and dismantling of scaffolding. However, the training did not include procedures for securing a plank for use as a ramp.

Keywords: Back, Erection Process, Fall, Flatbed Truck, Fracture, Plank, Ramp, Residential Construction, Scaffold, Spine