Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306362443 - Wal-Mart

Inspection Information - Office: Fresno District Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 and a coworker were instructed to retrieve cases of shoes from the warehouse area of the store. They used a 7.5-foot step ladder to access the stock on the shelves. Employee #1 climbed from the ladder to the top shelf of the rack that was 9-feet high from where she passed boxes down to her coworker. The size of the case boxes varied depending on the shoe size and design. As Employee #1 began to come down from the shelf, she put her foot on what she thought was a step of the ladder. She actually stepped onto a cardboard box on a lower shelf which collapsed under her weight. She fell approximately 4.5 feet. Employee #1 was hospitalized for treatment of two broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Keywords: FRACTURE, LUNG, WAREHOUSE, LADDER, STRUCK AGAINST, RIB, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, PUNCTURE