Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316517051 - Michael Stoudt Dba Michael Stoudt General Contract

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On July 21, 2012, an employee was working as a carpenter on a residential home interior painting project for a firm DBA Michael Stoudt General Contractor. He was painting a dropped ceiling. To do this, he was standing on the third step of a 6-foot (1.8-meter) self-supporting ladder. He was standing 3 feet (0.95 meters) above the ground. As he stepped down from the ladder, he stepped onto the second step without issue. He forgot, though, that he had been standing three steps up. He missed the next step (the first step) and stepped to the ground abruptly. When he hit the ground, his right leg slipped out and went under his left leg. He sustained a fracture in his leg. The employee said that the weight of his body and the way he landed must have been what broke his leg, as he fell only about 2 feet (0.6 meters). The employee said that he was facing the ladder as he descended, holding on to the ladder with one hand and holding the paint roller with the other. When he fell, he must have let go of the ladder, as it was still standing after the incident. A call was placed to emergency medical services, and the employee was taken away by ambulance. He underwent surgery at Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville, CA. He was hospitalized for six days. The accident was reported to the Sacramento office on July 25, 2012, by the firm's owner.

Keywords: FRACTURE, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, STEPLADDER, LADDER, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, LOST BALANCE, LEG