Inspection Detail

Inspection: 112073754 - Malcolm Drilling Co Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

On August 10, 1990, Employee #1, a laborer-foreman with about 15 years experience, was working for Malcolm Drilling Co., Inc., a contractor drilling caissons for a bridge over a flood control channel. Employee #1 told a county inspector to stay out of the area because it was dangerous. The drill operator later stated that he had drilled a 15 ft deep caisson, and then began drilling another caisson located 7 1/2 ft away from the first. The drill bit hit sand and moved sideways toward the first caisson, causing a subsurface cave-in between the two caissons. The ground surface did not collapse. Employee #1 went to the caisson to investigate. The next thing that the drill operator observed was Employee #1's leg protruding from the dirt caved-in between the two caissons. He was killed. There were no witnesses to the actual event.

Keywords: WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, UNSTABLE SURFACE, FALL, UNSTABLE SOIL, BURIED, CAVE-IN