Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126169721 - Rory Electric

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

A household furnishing company was going to demolish a wall in a working area and relocate machinery. An electrical contractor who had worked for the company for 15 years was performing the electrical work on this job. One of the electrical contractor's employees installed a new section of conduit to supply power for an existing machine that was to be moved to a new location. The employee planned to cut the existing conduit supplying the machine and to connect the conduit to a new piece conduit that he had previously installed. The conduits were to be connected at a point on the wall approximately 4.6 meters from the ground. He planned to reconnect the wiring with the circuit deenergized (a 15- to 20-minute job) during the 35-minute lunch break. He was going to work from a 7.3-meter extension ladder. He positioned the ladder slightly to the left of the connection. After assuring himself of its stability, he climbed the ladder and was standing about 4.4 meters above the floor just to the right of the connection. The ladder was leaning against a guardrail in front of electric switches. (The employee had considered placing the ladder inside the guardrail, but decided that the ladder would have been too steep.) The ladder began to slip, causing the employee to lose his balance and slide down the ladder. He grabbed a conduit on the way down. The conduit broke, and he continued sliding down the ladder. In the process of the slide, the victim's leg was cut. He hit the guardrail and suffered multiple contusions. The injured employee was transported to a hospital, where he remained overnight for observation.

Keywords: EXTENSION LADDER, LADDER, SLIP, FALL, UNSTABLE POSITION