Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120201520 - On The Level Construction Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 11, 2006, Employee #1, an exterior carpenter, was working on the south side of a two-story wood frame home. Employee #1 was going to work around a window that was 17 ft off of the ground. He needed to route out the edges of the window framing to prepare them for window installation. Employee #1 placed a 24-ft extension ladder on the side of the house next to the window, and began to climb the ladder to the window sill. He set his tools in the window sill and went to reach for a material to secure the ladder to the house. As Employee #1 reached into his tool bag, he lost his balance and began falling. Employee #1 straddled the wrung of the ladder, that he was standing on and he struck his crotch against it. The ladder fell over 13 ft to the ground with Employee #1 still straddling the ladder. He struck the ground with his feet first and shattered his L-2 vertebra. Employee #1 was taken by light flight to Washoe Medical in Reno, Nevada, where he had surgery and was hospitalized for 8 days.

Keywords: FRACTURE, INSTALLING, CARPENTER, LADDER, STRUCK AGAINST, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, LOST BALANCE, VERTEBRA, FOOT