Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300754645 - Volt Services Group

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:00 a.m. on August 9, 1996, Employee #1, of a temporary help agency, was pulling a 36 1/2 in. long by 24 1/2 in. wide cart carrying lead plates. The top of the cart, on which the lead plates rested, was 33 3/4 in. above the floor. The lead plates on the cart were stacked up on the end from which Employee #1 was pulling. As he proceeded across the concrete floor, he saw an extension cord lying across the aisle but decided that the momentum of the cart would allow it to successfully pass over the cord. Instead, the wheels of the cart came to a sudden stop and the cart with the lead plates tipped toward Employee #1. He attempted to deflect the plates with his right hand but suffered a contusion on his hand and a fractured right tibia that required surgery to set. The secondary employer had told Employee #1 and coworkers several times that the lead plates should be evenly distributed on the cart before moving it. Electrical cords were usually picked up when the related work was done. Employee #1 was working under the direction and control of a secondary employer that manufactured x-ray generating equipment such as that used at airports. At the time of the accident, he had been working at the secondary employer's site for three weeks.

Keywords: FRACTURE, TIBIA, WORK RULES, MANUAL MAT HANDLING, HOUSEKEEPING, WORK SURFACE, CART, CONTUSION, OVERTURN, UNSTABLE LOAD