Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310601323 - Shore Steel Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:20 a.m. on September 18, 2007, Employee #1, who worked for a special trade contractor engaged in the erection of steel structures, was helping a bolter align the hole of a second floor beam connection. He was using a sleever bar, which has a 30 in. long by 7/8 in. hexagon-shaped stem, pointed on one end and with a chisel shape on the other. Employee #1 was standing on top of the 6 in. wide by 24 in. deep flange when the sleever bar slipped out of the hole and caused him to lose his balance. He fell backward approximately 16 ft, landing on the finished concrete floor of Building #2A. A coworker ran to notify a manager, who provided Employee #1 a blanket to prevent shock and called 911. Employee #1 was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for two days for a left lumbar spine fracture. When Employee #1 was rescued, he did not have on a harness.

Keywords: FRACTURE, SPINE, WORK RULES, SAFETY BELT, CONSTRUCTION, STEEL ERECTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, LOST BALANCE, UNSTABLE POSITION