Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1439646.015 - San Anselmo Shopping Center Partners Llc

Inspection Information - Office: American Canyon District Office

Investigation Summary

At 11:00 a.m. on October 18, 2019, an employee, a maintenance worker for a shopping center, had laid out an approximately 150-foot continuous string of Christmas lights along the roof approximately 1 foot from the roof's edge. The lights were being installed along the fascia board below the edge of the building's roof between two stores. The roof edge varied in height between 11 feet 4 inches and 9 feet. The employee had used two portable step ladders to access the roof. One ladder was an 8-foot Werner FIA08 folding A-frame ladder and the other ladder was a 12-foot Werner NXT1A12 folding A-frame ladder. The first ladder was located outside the entry door to store #860 and the second ladder was located in front of store #868. The employee had completed laying out the string of lights and was attempting to descend from the roof using the second ladder. The employee went to step from the roof to the ladder and placed his foot on an exposed 10-inch by 10-inch square wooden rafter end that protruded approximately 13 inches past the roof edge. When the employee placed his weight on the rafter end, the wood gave way due to dry rot and broke completely off. The employee lost his balance and fell approximately 11 feet to the concrete walkway in front of store #868, striking the wooden roof edge on his left side as he fell. The employee suffered two broken ribs on his left side, scrapes on his left hand and arm, and an injured spleen. The employee was hospitalized for approximately 48 hours.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fracture, Installing, Lost Balance, Maintenance, Rib, Roof, Spleen, Temporary Lighting