Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315774877 - Stomper Company Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Foster City District Office

Investigation Summary

On August 27, 2012, Employee #1, a 19 year-old male laborer with Stomper Company Inc., arrived at 2:00 .am. at a site in Menlo Park California to demolish the interiors of the building. They scraped the interiors of the building and collected debris as they finished up the job. On August 28, 2012, at approximately 10:00 a.m, the job assignment was done and every employee was to put away all the rubble and gather all equipment in order to pack up and leave the site. When the job assignment was finished, it is typical for all employees to gather everything and put it away into the garbage bin or in their trailers and bins. At the time, four coworkers were outside in the parking lot working near the Number 5,700 Panther. Two coworkers were going to load the number 5,700 Panther and Employee #1 stated that he was going to load the number 5,700 Panther on a trailer when their trailer returns from the trip delivering their first load. This worker got on a Gradall machine to lift a box bin and move it towards the number 5,700 Panther. The coworkers stated that Employee #1, not the employee designated to drive the Panther, got on this vehicle and started driving it. Employee #1 attempted to load a number 5,700 Panther on to a bin. This bin had a rubber lip with a four to five inch incline ramp on its lip's edge. Employee #1 drove the Panther straight backwards on the bin and did not go through this four to five inch ramp bump on to the bin. Right after this unsuccessful attempt, Employee #1 drove it backwards a second time except this time slightly slanted to his left side. The left wheel touched the ramp first. On this second attempt, the number 5,700 Panther fell and flipped over. Employee #1 attempted to jump out of this vehicle but was unable to get away as the Panther which weighed over 2,000 pounds fell on his left foot and pinned it. A coworker got the Gradall machinery in order to remove the Panther that was on top of Employee #1's left foot. Employee #1 suffered a serious fracture injury to his left leg and was hospitalized over twenty-four hours. Employee #1 also stated that he is well trained in driving other construction vehicle equipment by another foreman.

Keywords: LOADING, FRACTURE, RAMP, ROLL-OVER, ROPS, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, SEAT BELT, UNTRAINED, LEG