Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300862521 - Muhlhauser Steel Inc

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

On June 2, 2003, Employee #1 was assigned by his immediate supervisor to the task of vertical positioning of the metal stairwell sections, in preparation for banding and shipment. The metal stairwell sections called stringers were fabricated on site and installed during building construction. They had a lengthwise span of 9 ft and weighed approximately 1,735 lb. Employee #1 was working alone at the northwest of the canopied surface where the surface was a compacted soil. Employee #1 was moving the metal stairwell sections with an overhead crane 1A. Employee #1 stacked eight stringers and had already banded four of the eight stringers together. The supervisor told Employee #1 to unbind the four banded stringers and reposition the stringers together before re-banding them. Employee #1 moved three of the four stringers closer and was preparing to move the fourth stringer with the overhead crane. Employee #1 was standing between the third and fourth stringers, facing the fourth stringer. When Employee #1 was ready to attach the fourth stringer to the overhead crane chain, the stringer started to fall towards his legs at a gradual pace. Employee #1 held the falling stringer and was pinned at the knee level. He yelled for help and his coworkers arrived to assist him. Employee #1 sustained a crushing injury to his left femoral artery resulting in hematoma. Employee #1 was transported to Kaiser Medical Center where he was hospitalized.

Keywords: KNEE, PINNED, CONSTRUCTION, OVERHEAD CRANE, FALL, ARTERY, LEG