Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306100090 - Wildfire Incorporated

Inspection Information - Office: Boston North Area Office

Investigation Summary

On January 26, 2004, an employee, the Vice President and Foreman, was supervising the initial dismantling of the first leg of a sign to be dismantled. He then proceeded to warm up a skid steer at the street opposite the job dismantling the sign. He then went back down to the dismantling operation; he initially observed the sign to be on the ground. Minutes later, he was talking to his coworker with his back toward the sign, when all of a sudden he was pulled down from behind and driven into the ground. The employee immediately realized his back was broken and could not feel his legs. The coworker called emergency medical services and shortly thereafter local emergency rescue arrived and transported the employee to the hospital. The employee stated that the sign had never reached the ground fully on one side, and may have been landed and was leaning on an existing 8-in. by 8-in. post that was in the area for an unknown reason. There was 0.5 in. angle iron attached to the dismantled sign and. When the sign shifted off the post, the piece of angle iron may have caught the back of the employee sweatshirt driving him to the ground. The employee stated that he had a large scrape on his back related to this incident. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: DISMANTLING, BACK, STRUCK BY, CONTUSION