Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315342170 - Vertical Access

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:00 p.m. on September 17, 2011, an employee, of Vertical Access, was part of a dismantling team taking down the suspended scaffold as part of an asbestos abatement being performed by another contractor. The employee was lowering 4 ft by 8 ft sheets of 3/4 inch decking to the ground level through an opening in the floor. He fell. The accident occurred at the San Ysidro Border U.S. & Mexico Port of Entry. Apparently, the scaffold had collapsed 3 days earlier on September 14. The employee and coworkers were dismantling the remaining portion of the scaffold that was still suspended. The employee was an 8th period full-time apprentice with 5 years of experience working with Vertical Access, a licensed contractor since 2005 that provides engineered staging and scaffolding for construction throughout Southern California. The employer reported the injury approximately 3 hours after the incident and advised that the injured employee had been transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he was admitted and received treatment for spinal injuries and two fractured wrists.

Keywords: FRACTURE, DISMANTLING, COLLAPSE, SPINE, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, FLOOR OPENING, SCAFFOLD, WRIST