Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315342097 - Troy'S Drywall

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 4:00 p.m. on September 20, 2011, fulltime regular Employees #1, #2, and #3 were installing drywall for a new two-story single family detached house. All three employees fell. Prior to the fall, the employees had completed some drywall installation inside the house at ground level. At about 3:30 pm, Employees #1, #2, and #3 decided to install drywall at the second-story level above the staircase/entrance area. They erected a platform by using wooden planks from the scaffold system that was outside the house for exclusive use by the lather/plaster contractor. They installed the wooden planks incorrectly by placing one end on the top rail of a scaffold at about 10 feet and nailing the other end to the wall at about 15 to 16 feet. This created an unstable slope. All three employees went on to this platform to install drywall. The wooden platform detached from the wall nails/support, and the employees fell about 16 feet from the inside second-story level to the staircase railing and on to the concrete floor. All three employees sustained serious injuries. Employee #1 sustained a broken right ankle. Employee #2 sustained a right hand fracture. Employee #3 sustained a fracture of the left knee. The employer, Troy's Drywall, a licensed contractor in the business of drywall installation, employed about three employees at the site.

Keywords: KNEE, PLATFORM, FRACTURE, CONSTRUCTION, UNSTABLE SURFACE, FALL, HAND, SLOPE, ANKLE, SCAFFOLD