Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126188770 - Metal Engineering

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 19, 2002, Employee #1, of Metal Engineering, an HVAC piping contractor, was installing a new HVAC system in an existing building at Technicolor Labs in North Hollywood, CA. The building had been gutted and everything had been removed from the inside except the load-bearing walls. Employee #1 was making a saddle connection and had cut a 12-in. hole in a 24-in. section of pipe. A coworker stepped off the ladder, Employee #1 went up to finish the cut. The 8-ft A-frame Werner ladder was fully extended and Employee #1 was on the fifth rung when he fell to the floor. The ladder fell in the opposite direction, and narrowly missed striking a coworker. Other employees were in the vicinity, but there were no direct witnesses to the accident. Employee #1 was told to lie down and to let rescue personnel check him out. He was then transported to Holy Cross Hospital for observation where he was later diagnosed as having suffered a head injury. Employee #1 had just started working for Metal Engineering and had just received ladder safety training.

Keywords: HEAD, INSTALLING, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, LADDER, FALL, UNSTABLE POSITION