Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1547929.015 - Wesley Allen Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:36 p.m. on August 16, 2021, an employee, a maintenance worker, and a coworker, a temporary employee, were welding shelf brackets onto the wall of a warehouse. As the employees welded the brackets, slag from the welding ignited cardboard on the floor in the area and on the legs of the metallic chairs stored in the warehouse. As the cardboard smoldered, the employees attempted to extinguish it with fire extinguishers. The employees then left the warehouse to get more fire extinguishers. The coworker went to the front parking lot and the employee went to the rear of the warehouse making his way to the second floor. As the employee made his way to the second floor balcony, he got trapped. When the coworker returned to the warehouse, he found the fire was out of control, being fed by the cardboard on the furniture, the discarded cardboard on the floor and the wood in the warehouse. The coworker notified the management who called for emergency services. While fire fighters were fighting the fire, the management performed a head count and notified them that the employee was not accounted for. Fire fighters found the employee's body on the second floor balcony and pronounced him dead at the scene. The employee died due to asphyxiation and burns.

Keywords: Asphyxiated, Burn, Caught In, Fire, Fire Brigade/Department, Fire Fighter, Molten Slag, Welding