Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310196654 - Universal Iron Works, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On February 27, 2007, Employee #1 was working as a welder at a shop where structural metal products were fabricated. At the time of the accident, he was loading steel tubing and bars onto a four-level storage rack in the facility's production area. Employee #1's supervisor had assigned him to assist two other employees with loading various sized steel tubes and bars onto the storage rack. After loading for a while, one of the employees was told to go to the field, and a little while later the other employee was told by the supervisor to do something else, leaving Employee #1 to finish loading the steel tubes and bars by himself. He had only two more pieces to load and was placing one of them onto the second level of the storage rack, when the pieces began to fall off the rack. He was knocked to the floor, with some of the steel tubes and bars landing on his legs, leaving him unable to move. Other employees ran over to move the steel tubes and bars off his legs and pull him away. The storage rack had bent and collapsed, allowing the steel tubes to fall off. Employee #1's left ankle was fractured. He was taken by paramedics to Pacifica Hospital in Sun Valley, CA, where he had surgery. Two plates and seventeen pins were installed in his ankle. He was hospitalized for six days.

Keywords: FRACTURE, COLLAPSE, STEEL TUBE, METAL SHOP, OVERLOADED, WELDER, STORAGE RACK, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, ANKLE