Inspection Detail

Inspection: 308687169 - Allied Contractors Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

A new sewage pumping station was being constructed for Baltimore County. Employee #1 and another laborer were working from the different scaffold platforms located on the four sides of the steel forms they were constructing for a future concrete pour. At about 2:30 p.m. the two laborers were working on the east side scaffold platform. They were installing the she-bolts on the form to pull it tight and square for the upcoming concrete pour. To access this scaffold platform, employees would walk from ground level to a set of metal stairs that led to a platform. A long extension ladder was erected between the platform and the bottom of the excavation. The distance from the upper ground level to the floor of the excavation was approximately 18 feet 5 inches. Employees would climb down 21 rungs on this ladder to the base of the excavation and then walk 17 feet on the excavation floor over to another extension ladder. They would then climb up 15 rungs on this ladder to the scaffold platform that traveled along the east side of the form. The platform at the top of the ladder was made of wooden scaffold planks. A metal scaffold pick platform overlapped the wooden scaffold planks and spanned from the first scaffold tower to a second scaffold tower. The entire platform was approximately 24 feet long and 13 feet above the excavation ground. The top guardrail on the scaffold was at 41 inches and the midrail was at 24.5 inches. When leaving this scaffold platform the employees were expected to walk to the ladder and climb down to the base of the excavation and then walk over to the other ladder and climb back up to the landing and then down the set of metal stairs to the upper ground level. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on April 25, 2005, a 2 in. by 6 in. piece of lumber had been placed approximately 64 inches above the scaffold platform. The 2 in. by 6 in. piece of lumber was wedged against the outer steel retaining wall and the steel form on the east side platform. The 2 in. by 6. in brace was approximately 9 feet 8.5 inches long and was just wedged in place against each end with no supports underneath. At a little after 3:00 p.m. The two laborers starting cleaning up since quitting time was at 3:30 p.m. One of the laborers stepped up onto the guardrails on the scaffold and then stepped up onto the 2 in. by 6 in. brace. As he stepped up onto the brace and started reaching for the ladder, the brace came free and Employee #1 lost his balance and fell from the brace. He fell face first between the ladder and the corner of the scaffold platform towards the floor of the excavation. He bounced off of the concrete ring that encircled the excavation, into the corner section of the south side scaffold, and then to the ground. He landed face first with his arms out on the soft moist ground. His left shoulder, left side of his head, and left hand and arm hit the ground first. He fell approximately 15 feet. The acting foreman called emergency services and the other employee climbed down the ladder to the floor of the excavation and went over to the injured employee. Employee #1 was trying to sit up but could not because of pain. The rescue squad arrived and treated the employee; he was removed from the excavation and flown to Shock Trauma Center. He was treated there and released later that same evening. He was treated for a dislocated left elbow, a sprained left wrist, left shoulder, left side of his head and neck; both hands were very sore and there were numerous bruises on his body. Employee #1 stated that it was not unusual for him to exit the scaffold platform in this manner. The other laborer stated that he had witnessed this employee leave the scaffold platforms this way a number of times. He did it to save time. The employee had received fall and scaffold hazard training.

Keywords: WORK RULES, LADDER, CONSTRUCTION, DISLOCATED, BRACE, FALL, ARM, WORK SURFACE, SCAFFOLD