Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120483573 - Hames Contracting, Inc.

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

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was hired on April 6, 1993, as an industrial painter. The superintendent had known Employee #1 for 15 years and knew of his experience in the field. The company was trying to start night shift work at 5:00 p.m. that day. No employment papers were filled out, but Employee #1 was given a safety belt, safety glasses, and a blast hood. The superintendent and Employee #1 went to the work site of a new fire water tank. Inside the tank, scaffolds were set up and other employees had sandblasted during the day shift. The superintendent gave Employee #1 instructions on the work and introduced him to the job foreman and holewatch employee, then left the site. Employee #1 left his safety belt on the back of the superintendent's truck. The foreman climbed his scaffold and began sandblasting. Employee #1 climbed another scaffold and began sandblasting. He and the foreman took breaks together at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. They moved their scaffolds twice, the last time about at 10:45 p.m. Both sandblasted. At 12:30 a.m., the foreman came down and asked the holewatch employee outside of the tank where Employee #1 was. The holewatch employee said that Employee #1 had shut off about 5 minutes before. The foreman went back inside the tank and found Employee #1 at the base of the scaffolds, having fallen approximately 24 feet. Employee #1 was not wearing a safety belt. No guardrails were in place around the work deck. Employee #1 died in the hospital on April 15, 1993.

Keywords: GUARDRAIL, WORK RULES, SAFETY BELT, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, PAINTER, SANDBLASTING, TANK, SCAFFOLD