Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313511206 - Loftus Property Maintenance

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:15 a.m. on October 27, 2010, Employee #1 was working as a laborer for a general contractor that built residential buildings. He was an employee of the employer. Employee #1 provided a timeline for the chain of events. He stated that he was going to be installing siding on the first- and second-floor exterior of a townhouse, which was located on the far right of a townhouse complex. The ladder he was going to use was already in place, and another employee had already used the ladder to climb to the roof. Employee #1 was on the tenth rung and was getting ready to step onto the garage roof, which was to the left of the ladder. As Employee #1 stepped off the ladder, it turned to the left, with him still on it. Employee #1 recalled being scared, and he fell to the cement pad headfirst. He recalled that his boss was speaking to him asking if he could get up. Employee #1 stated that he could not. He sustained serious injuries to his head and neck, including a fracture of his head, when he fell from the ladder to a concrete surface. He was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center. He was hospitalized for approximately two weeks, and he was then transferred to a rehabilitation center.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, ROOF, LADDER, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, NECK, FALLING OBJECT, LOST BALANCE, UNSTABLE POSITION