Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126114909 - Covello Plastering Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

On December 3, 2001, Employee #1 and a coworker arrived at a worksite and were instructed to continue the lathing job started months ago at the same location. It was Employee #1's first day at the site. They were using an approximately 36 ft tall stationary metal scaffold to access the top section of the building; the scaffold was situated near an energized, 16,000-volt overhead power line. At the time of the accident, the coworker was on the roof putting screws in the air conditioning frame and talking with Employee #1, who was between 3 ft and 6 ft away. Employee #1 was standing on the northeast corner of the scaffold, holding a 10 ft long metal milker. He was handling the metal strip when it contacted the overhead power line, creating a spark. The coworker heard an explosion and saw the spark. He stood up just as Employee #1 fell off the scaffold to the ground. The coworker ran down and screamed for help. Another coworker, who was having lunch in the front of the building and saw the spark, went to investigate. He found Employee #1 lying on the ground, face up, and the coworker trying to help him. This second coworker called emergency services and Employee #1 was transported to UCLA Medical Center, where he died the following morning. The employee's supervisor was not onsite at the time of the accident. The employer did not ensure that operations, erections, handling, or transportation of tools, machinery, materials, structures or scaffolds, the moving of any house or other building, or any body parts maintained safe clearances from energized overhead lines. The employer was cited for a violation T8CCR 2946 (b)(2), provisions for preventing accidents due to proximity to overhead lines.

Keywords: CLEARANCE, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTROCUTED, STRUCK AGAINST, CONSTRUCTION, ELEC CIRC PART--MISC, FALL, METAL STRIP, SCAFFOLD