Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126153493 - Strocal Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

At 9:15 a.m. on April 27, 2007, Employee #1 was working as a journeyman ironworker and welder, who had been doing this type work for 25 years. He was working for a steel erection contractor, Strocal, Inc., with a SIC of 1791, at a jobsite in Los Angeles, CA. The building under construction was a new steel frame hospital that would be 160 feet in height. The construction had progressed to the second floor level, where Employee #1 was welding decking edges. He was just coming back to the work area after his break. As he approached the edge of the decking where he was working, he reached out to attach his fall protection lanyard to the perimeter cables. Suddenly, a 4-foot by 3-foot triangular-shaped piece of loose decking tipped up, and he fell through the opening. That piece had been welded in place, but its welds had been subsequently cut away to provide access to an area under that section of deck. The piece was then placed back over the opening. It was not secured or marked to indicate that it was loose. As Employee #1 fell, he hit his right elbow in the opening. He then fell onto some bent-over rebar 15 feet below, rolled off that, and fell an additional 15 feet to a concrete surface. He fractured his right elbow, a hip, a leg, and some ribs, and he sustained internal injuries. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: FRACTURE, UNGUARDED FL OPENING, UNSECURED PANEL, WELDER, CONSTRUCTION, WELDING, STEEL ERECTION, UNSTABLE SURFACE, FALLING OBJECT, HIP