Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316197219 - Booker Brick & Window

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

On Tuesday, November 22, 2011, employees of Booker Brick & Window were at a jobsite. They were removing brick and stucco from an existing building to expose structural steel beams, so that a new addition could be tied to the existing building. Employee #1 and a coworker were on a 6-foot, 4-inch-high walkthrough-type fabricated frame scaffold and were using hammers and other tools to remove materials. Two more employees were on the new concrete slab, cleaning up the removed materials and loading them to take to the dump. A solid chunk of brick and mortar, estimated to be 12 inches by 18 inches, fell from the side of the building and toward the scaffold. It startled Employee #1, who was on the scaffold work platform that consisted of three 2-inch by 10-inch nominal boards. Employee #1 reacted to the falling debris and apparently jumped to the concrete slab located 6 feet, 4 inches below. Witnesses believed that he landed on his feet, but his knees buckled, and he went down to the floor. Other employees and the owner rushed to aid Employee #1, who got to his feet but was unstable. Employees noticed some blood around his mouth, and the owner called emergency medical services. Employee #1 reclined and waited for an ambulance. Lexington Hospital was directly across the street. However, the ambulance apparently came from Columbia and arrived approximately 40 minutes later, according to witnesses. Employee #1 was then transported to Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital and admitted. He died the following day in the hospital.

Keywords: DEMOLITION, LOSS OF BLOOD, CONSTRUCTION, BRICK, FALL, FALLING OBJECT, SCAFFOLD