Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125874446 - Platinum Roofing Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At 2:00 p.m. on June 19, 2013, Employee #1, of Platinum Roofing Inc., was working as part of a roofing crew at a 17-story hotel. That morning, the crew had applied the first coat of waterproofing material to the roof of an elevator penthouse that rose 25 feet from the hotel roof. Employee #1 was climbing a fixed ladder to check whether that first coat was dry and ready for a second coat. When he was approximately 5 to 6 feet up the ladder, he slipped and fell. He hit a small can of paint at the bottom of the ladder and then landed on the roof floor. There were no witnesses to his fall. Employee #1's crewmates immediately transported him to Torrance Memorial Hospital. He was kept overnight at the hospital for observation of his swollen left ankle. Employee #1 denied treatment at Torrance Memorial Hospital and requested transfer to the hospital in his hometown. He was released from Torrance Memorial Hospital on June 20, 2013. Employee #1's family transported him to Valley Medical Center in Santa Cruz on June 21, 2013, where he was examined and released the same day. On July 12, 2013, Employee #1 returned to Valley Medical Center, where he underwent outpatient surgery for his fractured left ankle and then was released. Employee #1's fall was reported to Cal/OSHA by the employer's superintendent at 1:20 p.m. on June 20, 2013. The subsequent investigation report indicated that Employee #1's sweaty hands or wet shoes may have contributed to his fall from the ladder.

Keywords: FRACTURE, ROOF, LADDER, SLIP, CONSTRUCTION, ROOFER, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, SEAL, ANKLE