Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1489488.015 - San Diego Convention Center Corporation, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At 10:40 a.m. on August 9, 2020, an employee working as a journeyman electrician for a convention center who was assisting Coworker #1 (a plumber) in replacing a plumbing line. The old cast iron piping was being disassembled and then replaced with new line. Although the employee was an electrician, he had assisted with similar work in the past due to his experience running conduit. The employee had performed this task multiple times in the past. The employee had worked for the convention center for approximately 5 years. In order to access the plumbing, which was in the ceiling, the employee needed to work from a 6-foot Werner A-frame Model 5906 ladder. The employee could not move the furniture during the job, so he had to place the ladder in a position that required him to rotate his body while disassembling the old plumbing. The employee started to descend the ladder when he lost his footing. The employee fell approximately 5 feet, striking a desk before falling to the floor. The plumber, although working alongside the employee, did not directly witness the incident. Coworker #2, the project manager and several other coworkers, all managers for the convention center, were on-site but were not close by when the incident occurred. The employee sustained several serious injuries including multiple fractures, to include a hip fracture, and was admitted to the hospital, where he remained for several days.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Concrete Floor, Electrician, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fracture, Hip, Injury Illness Prevention Program, Installing, Ladder, Pipelayer, Plumbing, Removal, Removing, Replace, Replacing, Unstable Position, Work Surface