Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126193929 - Maya Steel Fabrications Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

On August 6, 2007, Employee #1, a foreman/fitter employed by Maya Steel Fabricators, Inc., was organizing stacks of square and rectangular hollow structural steel tubes in the facility's yard. Employee #1 was operating the controls of the overhead crane and was organizing steel members in the yard for future loading. The steel members were various configurations of hollow structural steel tubes that were square or rectangular in shape and that ranged in length from 20-feet to 35-feet. The steel was stacked atop one another in various heights ranging from 2-feet to 4-feet and was arranged in rows. Employee #1 was standing between two such rows adjacent to the building, when the accident occurred. Behind him at the opposite side of the yard was another employee who was operating a forklift to load scrap steel into a bin. The scrap steel was accumulated in a pile at the far end of a row of stacked steel members. While picking up a load of the scrap steel, the forklift operator bumped into the adjacent stacked steel members, causing it to tip over into the adjacent stack. Several stacks were affected by the resulting domino effect. Employee #1 responded to the sound of falling steel members behind him and attempted to step out of the way, but was caught on the back of his foot by one of the falling steel members. Employee #1 was wearing steel toed leather work boots and sustained a severe laceration to the back of his heel that exposed his Achilles tendon. Employee #1 was transported to Gardena Memorial Hospital by paramedics, where he was admitted for surgical repair to his left ankle. The employee was hospitalized for a period of greater than 24 hours.

Keywords: TENDON, STEEL TUBE, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, LACERATION, OVERHEAD CRANE, STRUCK BY, FOOT