Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1452479.015 - Tri Star Electronics International, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At 7:00 a.m. on December 9, 2019, an employee working maintenance for an aerospace parts manufacturer was preparing to demo ? inch copper conduit pipe. The employee was a direct employee of the company for approximately 17 years. The facility was in the process of closing down and the employee was working with a crew to restore the leased building to its previous condition. The pipe transported air to pneumatically powered machines. The employee was using a Milwaukee Porta Band Saw and was working from an 8-foot Werner Stepladder. The employee had not fully extended the ladder due to pallets blocking the area. As a result, the employee fell before reaching the pipe. The employee stated Coworker #1 (Facilities Maintenance Supervisor) had instructed him to demo the pipe and clear the area. The employee had been shrink wrapping equipment and was told to start the demo work after he was finished. The employee was on his 7:00 a.m. break and was preparing to demo the pipe after his break. Coworker #1 stated that he saw the employee on break and told him he meet him with coffee to discuss the task. He said the employee had helped reroute the pipe in the past. In addition to not properly setting up the ladder, the employee was reported to be rushing. Coworker #2 (Manager) said that they didn't know why the employee used his break time to remove the pipe and that Coworker #1 had only told him to put away the saw. Coworker #1 said he didn't know why the employee was cutting the pipe and that the employee did not follow his orders. The employee said that he had used the ladder properly and was told to demo the pipe, which he started after his morning break. Coworker #3, a witness, said the stepladder was not setup properly and the employee fell while climbing the ladder. The employee was taken to the hospital, where he was admitted and released approximately four days later, on Friday, December 13th, 2019. The employee had sustained a head injury, including a skull fracture.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Climbing on Ladder, Communication, Conduit, Cutting, Demolition, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fall Protection, Floor, Fracture, Hand Tool, Head, Ladder, Maintenance, Metal Pipe, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Saw, Skull, Stepladder, Work Surface