UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300760063 - Summa Properties Watson Center Llc

Inspection Information - Office: Ca Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

On October 21, 2000, Employee #1 and #2 were installing aluminum citing sheets on the underside of a warehouse roof, using a rolling scaffold. The two employees were working from two manufactured planks of a rolling scaffold at an elevation of about 25 feet from ground. The scaffold collapsed as it stopped after it was pushed to a distance of about 2-3 feet by the person directing the work. The rolling scaffold was installed with three tiers; each tier was measured at approximately 9 feet high, with end horizontal members spaced at about 15 inches apart. The plank that the employees were standing on was supported on the second from the top member, which places the elevation of work to be about 25 feet. The rolling scaffold had a base dimension of 5-ft by 10-ft. At the time of the accident, no outriggers had been installed. It had no manufacturer's plate nor was the employer able to provide manufacturer's instructions on the unit. After the accident, Employee #1 could not move his lower extremities and was hospitalized for eight days. Employee #2 suffered pain in the rib cage area and was released the same day. The major causal factor of the accident was the insufficient base to height ratio of the rolling when it was moved. The employer owned and managed the property where the accident happened. At the time of the accident, the property owner had a part time maintenance person. This maintenance person contacted the employees to perform the job and directed the work operations. He was also involved in the erection of the scaffold.

Keywords:fracture, paralysis, mobile scaffold, construction, scaffold collapse, back, rib, concussion, work surface, leg