Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305472169 - Amtech Elevator Services

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on November 27, 2002, Employee #1, an elevator mechanic, along with other elevator mechanics and a supervisor were removing a 600-pound hoist motor from an elevator motor room. The elevator motor room was on the roof of a multi-story residential building. A landing platform was located outside the south facing door of the elevator motor room. A fixed ladder on the east side of the platform provided access from the roof to the platform. To accomplish the task of moving the hoist motor from the elevator motor room to the roof below, the motor was strapped to a refrigerator hand truck and lowered down the fixed ladder using a 0.75-ton Coffing chain fall, Model LSB-1500A with 0.75-ton hooks and Tuflex 5200-pound basketed endless-type synthetic slings. During this procedure, employee #1 was stationed on the ladder under the hand truck to help guide the hand truck down the center of the ladder. As the hand truck started down the ladder, one end of the sling attached to the hand truck popped out of its chain fall hook. The hand truck and motor fell down the ladder and Employee #1 rode the motor and the hand truck down the ladder. When the load struck the roof of the building, Employee #1 was thrown off. The load then rolled over the leg of the employee and he suffered a fractured left tibia and ankle. The employee was hospitalized and his injuries required surgery.

Keywords: LADDER, SUSPENDED LOAD, STRUCK BY, SLING, LEG