Inspection Detail

Inspection: 307399584 - Giampolini & Company

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:20 a.m. on April 7, 2008, an employee was working as a painter, caulker, and cleaner, performing exterior restoration work on an old eight-story building. The foreman and superintendent were standing on the deck of the canopy, modular system. The wide canopy was to cover the sidewalk providing overhead protection for the pedestrians walking below in a busy downtown street corner. It also served as a landing platform for the suspended scaffold that was in use by employees. An extension ladder was set-up in place to access the canopy. The bottom of the ladder was close to the curb of the sidewalk. The employee was on his way down from the 20-ft high canopy by way of the extension ladder. The employee had just gotten onto the ladder to begin his descent. The employee fell approximately 18 feet as he bounced off the ladder and into the street. A coworker who was working from the suspended scaffold saw the employee on the street and shouted to the foreman. The foreman, who was also a volunteer firefighter, immediately went down to the street to administer first-aid and rescue evaluation to the employee until the paramedics arrived at the scene. The employee was taken by ambulance to SF General Hospital, where he was treated and died later that week.

Keywords: HEAD, LADDER, FALL, CONCUSSION, LOST BALANCE, WORK SURFACE