Inspection Detail

Inspection: 305474975 - Boeing

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

On February 10, 2003, Employee #1, an electrician employed by the Boeing Aircraft Company in Long Beach, CA, underwent surgery for a back injury caused by cumulative trauma. The dates of the individual instances that resulted in the surgery are not provided. The electrician was suffering from back pain after years of maintaining several sizes of portable light fixtures, known as "Candlesticks." The "Candlesticks" were 20-inch to 48-inch fluorescent light bulbs placed vertically on a round base that stabilized the lighting fixture. The light fixtures were used inside airplanes being built. Employee #1 was the only electrician who maintained the 40- to 100-pound light fixtures. He lifted the fixtures up onto a work bench to maintain them. Over the years, the cumulative effects of lifting manifested itself as back trauma. The work was done in a 1,000-square foot maintenance shop used by electricians for maintaining equipment and for storage. Employee #1 was a full-time employee of the employer, which was a manufacturer of commercial airplanes.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, E GI III, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRICIAN, LIGHTING FIXTURE, BACK, BACK PAIN, MANUAL MAT HANDLING