Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126153402 - Alter Electric Co

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:40 p.m. on May 24, 2007, an employee was working at a site for an adaptive reuse project of an old hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The building was over 60 feet in height so a construction passenger elevator had been installed. Next to the CPH platform on the first floor was a roll off trash container that was used for both this building but also an adjacent two buildings under renovation. The contractors for all three sites shared expenses for this trash service. On the day of the accident, the employee was standing on the elevator platform which was even with the trash bin. According to a witness, as the employee stood there, he picked a strip of powder actuated tool cartridges. These devices were a rimfire detonated charge. They were held in a plastic strip. After he retrieved the strip, he began to walk away and took out his lineman's pliers to cut the spent charges off the strip. One of the charges was still live, and it detonated as he cut it. The blast caused an avulsion to his left thumb. He was taken to a clinic, where he was sutured and released the same day.

Keywords: ELECTRICIAN, CONSTRUCTION, THUMB, EXPLOSION, LACERATION