Inspection Detail

Inspection: 2568426 - Optimum Resource Utilization Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Arizona Phoenix Sfty

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was walking from his parking space to his work area, crossing the ground floor of the parking garage, which was under construction. Instead of using the safe access on the west end, he took a shortcut on the north side, passing by an open elevator shaft. A 2 in. by 12 in. plank, which ran from the parking garage floor across a ditch to the side of a hill, was adjacent to the southwest corner of the open shaft. The west wall of the shaft had rebar extending approximately 32 in. above the floor, and the plank ran between the rebar. When Employee #1 passed through the rebar, he lost his balance and fell into the 15 ft 4 in. deep shaft. He struck the elevator hydraulic shaft that extended 5 ft above the floor, then fell into the southwest corner of the elevator shaft. He suffered a fractured skull and died as a result of massive brain damage. Barricades had been placed in front of the shaft, but someone had removed them to avoid having to walk to the west end to exit.

Keywords:skull, lost balance, unguarded fl opening, fall, unguarded, work rules, walking on plank, elevator shaft, fracture, construction