Inspection Detail

Inspection: 311174874 - Oregon Electric Construction Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Or-E-Portland - Safety 1 1054111

Investigation Summary

On October 8, 2007, Employee #1 was working at the site of a new ethanol plant under construction. It was his first day on the job and, after receiving site orientation training, Employee #1 and an apprentice were assigned to pull wires at a substation just outside the fence from the construction site. The wires were being wound onto several reel racks on a flatbed truck, approximately 4 ft off ground. Employee #1 had climbed onto the flatbed to observe the reeling process, when he apparently fell to the ground. A coworker 10 ft away heard him fall and turned to see Employee #1, unconscious, on the ground. He was transported to the emergency room, and was then in and out of the hospital until he died on October 23, 2007, from pneumonia and hypertension. The coworker later stated that Employee #1's posture gave him the impression that he was unconscious when he hit the ground because it appeared he had not tried to break his fall. There was no evidence to suggest that the wire reeling process had knocked him off the truck.

Keywords: RESPIRATORY, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, CONSTRUCTION, TRUCK, RESPIRATORY TRACT, FALL, LOST BALANCE