Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307029231 - Pacific Coast Drywall

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

On October 23, 2004, Employee #1 was remodeling an office building and was working from a 5-foot rolling scaffold. The scaffold had lockable wheels and the deck was 28.5 inches wide by 6 feet long. The deck height was adjustable from 42 inches to 70 inches. Employee #1, working from the scaffold, and a coworker, working from a 6-foot ladder, were cutting wire that was hanging from the suspended ceiling. Their job was to remove the metal wire in preparation for the drywall hangers to install drywall on the ceiling. At the time of the accident, the height of the rolling scaffold was set at approximately 5 feet and the wheels were locked. However, the scaffold did not have side rails, mid rails, or end rails. Employee #1 was looking up at the ceiling when he fell off the scaffold. He fell onto his left side and suffered a fractured left hand, a facial laceration, and several fractured ribs. He was hospitalized with his injuries. Further investigation revealed that this was the first time Employee #1 and the coworker performed this type of duty. They were part of the scraping team that regularly scrubbed the floors after other workers finished installing drywall. In addition, this was the first time Employee #1 was on a rolling scaffold and he was not provided safety training or instruction on the scaffold.

Keywords: FRACTURE, RAIL, CONSTRUCTION, INEXPERIENCE, RIB, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, UNTRAINED, HAND, SCAFFOLD