Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301774287 - Tate Metal Works, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

Employee #1, a helper for a storage tank construction company, was removing holding brackets from the side of a storage tank under construction. He was standing on a 32 ft Werner extension ladder that had been opened to 16 ft; an LT 7 tractor sub arc welder was sitting at the base of the tank, directly below the bracket he was removing. The base of the ladder was 12 ft from the bottom edge of the tank, so that the ladder was leaning against the tank (and over the welder) at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Employee #1 was at height of 12 ft, using an adjustable wrench to remove the bracket while a coworker held the ladder at its base. The ladder began slide down and Employee #1 fell, landing on his feet. He suffered a strained shoulder and back. The welder unit acted as a fulcrum and created a see-saw effect with the ladder. The coworker holding the ladder was lifted approximately 3 ft into the air and then knocked to the ground.

Keywords: EXTENSION LADDER, SHOULDER, UNSECURED, LADDER, CONSTRUCTION, BACK, FALL, SPRAIN, OVERTURN, UNSTABLE POSITION