Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314533688 - Desilva Gates Construction Lp

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

An employee of a general contractor was setting a K-Rail on the on-ramp on a highway construction site. A second employee was operating a forklift. The second employee was a trained and certified operator, but this was the first day he had used this particular forklift and was still getting used to the machine. The employees had set three or four pieces. The first employee noticed that his coworker had been a little jerky as he moved and placed the rail. As the second employee was setting the next piece, the first employee got out of position, placing his foot under the K-rail as it came down. The K-rail, which had been lifted several inches to a foot above the ground, did not make full impact on the employee's foot and glanced off. The injured employee attempted to keep working until he realized his foot was bleeding. He was hospitalized with a fractured foot. The load was appropriately rigged and was not over the lifting capacity of the forklift. The injured employee had been wearing steel-toed boots as required by the employer. The employer had an effective injury and illness prevention program, including training for the equipment and operations used at the time of the accident.

Keywords: FRACTURE, METAL RAIL, FALLING OBJECT, FOOT