Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305347072 - Ott Street Design

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on July 29, 2002, Employee #1, a factory worker, was helping to off-load a 12-ft long by 3-ft in diameter roll of carpet that had been delivered on a 20-ft long truck trailer. Employee #1's supervisor was operating a forklift that had a 12-ft pole attached to its forks. Employee #1 and the delivery truck driver pushed on the 600-pound to 800-pound roll to insert the pole in the reel of the carpet. Employee #1 was sitting on the opposite end of the carpet to add some weight, which was necessary while the forklift was backing up to pull the carpet off the trailer. More than half of the carpet length had been pulled off when the pole slipped completely out of the carpet. This caused the end of the carpet where the pole had been inserted to drop onto the concrete pavement. The sudden fall of one end of the carpet made its length work like a seesaw and Employee #1 was tossed into the air. Employee #1 fell approximately 6.5 ft, landing on his left side on the pavement. Employee #1 suffered brain contusions, a fractured rib, and either temporary or permanent hearing shift in his left ear. Employee #1 was hospitalized.

Keywords: DELIVERY WORK, EJECTED, HEAD, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, HEARING LOSS, FALL, OFF LOADING, TRAILER, UNSTABLE POSITION