Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310493671 - Los Angeles County Usc Medical Center

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:30 a.m. on November 14, 2008, Employee #1, a phlebotomist technician at the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, was coming back from a blood pickup from the medical center's outpatient building. He was wearing sneakers. He was at the exterior courtyard at the front of the "DNT Building," about to enter that building. As he reached for entry door B2, his right foot slipped straight out in front of him, and he fell onto the cement floor in a split position. Coworkers immediately came over and assisted him. Employee #1 was transported to the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center Emergency Department, where he was treated and hospitalized. He had sustained a broken hip. He stayed in that hospital for four days and was then transferred on November 25, 2008, to St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, where he received reconstructive hip surgery. He was transferred again, this time to Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, from which he was released on December 2, 2008. Although the concrete sections of the walking surface were slightly uneven, Cal/OSHA was not able to ascertain whether or not this unevenness was the causal factor for the accident. Possibly, Employee #1 had made a misstep; his leg might have given out on him. He could not remember if he had slipped on anything or not. Therefore, no accident-related citation was issued.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEALTH CARE WORKER, SLIP, HEALTH CARE FACILITY, WALKING SURFACE, LOST BALANCE, HIP