Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309299717 - Rj Electric

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On July 2, 2007, Employee #1 was working in a 320 ft by 120 ft unoccupied warehouse. He was using an Upright scissor lift, Series X-20, model 66000-000, serial #4201, to repair high bay light fixtures. A subcontractor was also working inside the building, lubricating the hoists on the overhead doors located along the east wall of the structure. Prior to the accident, the subcontractor observed a wheel from the lift in the middle of the warehouse floor, approximately 50 yd from where the lift was situated at the north end of the building. The subcontractor informed Employee #1 of the wheel on the floor. He nodded, but he was on his cell phone at the time of the interaction. Employee #1 then extended the platform to approximately 17 ft, engaged the joystick, and began to travel to the next light fixture. The lift was moving forward when it overturned onto the concrete floor. Employee #1 fell with the lift, landing with his body partially inside the platform and against a fence located in the work area. He suffered fractures to his right ankle and left wrist, for which he was hospitalized for 17 days. Employee #1 later stated that the wheel came off the lift as he was traveling on it, in contradiction to what the subcontractor had observed prior to the accident. The cause of the accident was determined to be operating the lift without a fourth wheel.

Keywords: FRACTURE, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, ELEVATED WORK PLAT, AERIAL LIFT, ANKLE, INATTENTION, OVERTURN, UNSTABLE POSITION