Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1726774.015 - Radford Studio Center Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

At 6:50 a.m. on February 6, 2024, an employee was working as an engineering technician for a television and film production company. The employee was working with a crew which included Employee #1 and Employee #2. The crew was working on wooden catwalks located in Stage 3. The crew was collecting and removing lighting cable equipment that was hanging from the wooden platforms. One platform was accessible via a wooden staircase that continued upward and was connected to the other wooden catwalk platforms. The walking surface of these catwalks consisted of wooden floorboards of various sizes, including as 2-inch by 6-inch and 2-inch by 8-inch boards. These floorboards were supported underneath by 2-inch by 4-inch wooden supports (sometimes referred to as "ledgers"). A particular section of this catwalk had a deteriorated ledger that was not bearing the 4-inch by 12-inch underlying support beam, but instead was improperly nailed to a roof truss. The deteriorated ledger was weakened likely due to age, environmental conditions and repeated stress loads over many decades. As the crew walked along the catwalks, the employee stood on the weakened section of catwalk. Suddenly, and without warning, the ledger supporting the floorboard broke apart and collapsed as the employee was standing on this section of catwalk. The employee fell 41 feet and forcefully impacted the ground below. The employee was pronounced dead by responding emergency medical services shortly after the fall. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, neck and legs.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Board, Catwalk, Elevated Work Platform, Engineer, Fall, Fall From Elevation, Fall Protection, Floor Opening, Ground, Head, Inadequate Maint, Injury Illness Prevention Program, Leg, Maintenance, Movie, Neck, Platform, Raised platform, Walking Surface, Weather, Wood, Wood Board, Work Surface