Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307398511 - Shimmick Construction Company, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on September 24, 2007, Employee #1 and coworkers were engaged in a retrofit project at the San Francisco Sunset Reservoir, North Basin. Employee #1 was using a JLG aerial lift, model 400S, serial #300155200, rented from Sunbelt Rentals, to sandblast the ceiling structures between the 10 and 11 lines at J.5 Section. He was in the lift basket and elevated to a height of approximately 25 to 30 ft. Employee #1 was moving the lift to continue sandblasting when he became forcibly trapped between the underside of an overhead upper moment frame beam and the basket's railing. He sustained crushing of his upper body around the chest and neck areas. Coworkers situated in the same area were drawn by the commotion, and they lowered the basket, pulled him out, and administered first aid until the paramedics arrived. Employee #1 was killed. He was wearing personal protective equipment at the time of accident, including a blasting hood, gloves, and a body harness tied-off by lanyards to the frame of the basket. Following an investigation, no reason could be found for Employee #1 to have become trapped. He had experience and training in the operation of aerial devices. The aerial device involved in the accident was fairly new. It had only 113 hours of operation, and the inspection and tests performed on the device and all its controls found that the machine was operating properly in all capacities.

Keywords: CHEST, PINNED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, CAUGHT BETWEEN, NECK, SANDBLASTING, AERIAL LIFT, INATTENTION