Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126079680 - Bare Metal Works

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on June 30, 2000, Employee #1 and a coworker, of Bare Metal Works, were relocating a popcorn line in the FDA processing room at the Snak King Corporation, City of Industry, CA. This popcorn line consisted of four pieces: a popper, a sifter, a wheeled seasoning tumbler, and an Aseeco bucket elevator conveyor. All elements of the system except the wheeled tumbler had four feet that were held in place by a floor-mounted stud and corrresponding nut. Employee #1 removed the hold-down nuts from the rectangular popper and sifter, and the units did not move. The bucket was an assymetrical, backward Z-shape, with a 28 in. floor-mounted horizontal base, a 171 in. vertical section, and a 98 in. upper horizontal platform that held the motor and drive mechanism. The unit was top-heavy, with most of its weight on the upper horizontal platform. The coworker asked Employee #1 to bring the portable welding machine over to the scissor lift so they could finish modifying the food grade oil pipe, which was near the top of the overhead. Employee #1 refused, saying he was first going to start unbolting the popcorn line. The coworker argued briefly, saying that the first thing to get done was the piping so that Snak King could resume operations. Employee #1 continued removing the nuts on the hold-down feet and the coworker elevated the scissor lift so he could weld the pipe cap in place. Employee #1 had removed three of the four nuts on the bucket elevator conveyor when the unsupported weight of the upper horizontal section of the bucket elevator conveyor snapped off the fourth stud. This caused the bucket elevator to cantilever, and one of the hold-down feet was driven into Employee #1's chest, impaling him. He was pronouced dead at the scene. The employer failed to conduct a survey to determine any hazardous conditions before the employees began work. He also failed to warn the employees that the top of the bucket elevator was not supported and that if the hold-down nuts were removed, the bucket elevator conveyor would fall. At the time of the accident, the employer was checking out the piping on the roof with the Apex Process System representative. The employer was cited for an accident-related violations T8CCR 1510(c) and T8CCR 1511(b).

Keywords: CHEST, REPAIR, IMPALED, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, CONVEYOR, STRUCK BY, BUCKET ELEVATOR, UNSTABLE POSITION