Panelized Structures Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Dec 6, 2012: Employee is struck by a steel and wooden truss

At approximately 1:30 p.m., on December 6, 2012, Employee #1 of Panelized Struct ures Inc. was seriously injured. At the time of the accident, a fork lift set a truss, 66 feet long and weighing approximately 998 pounds, on the panel building table without bracing or guying. The panel building table was used for construc ting panels for panelized roofing system. Five carpenter employees began spreadi ng and placing two by six inch by 10 foot long wooden pieces to nail them onto t he truss when it fell off the panel table landing on both legs of Employee #1 ca using serious injuries. Employee #1 sustained fracture injuries of both lower le gs. The cause of the accident was that the employer failed to ensure that the tr uss, as the first member set on a panel table, was braced and /or guyed against shifting and falling off the table before succeeding members are erected and sec ured to it. Paramedics transported Employee #1 to Arrowhead Regional Medical Cen ter, Colton, CA. Surgery was performed and Employee #1 was hospitalized for five days.

Incident on Mar 29, 2004: Employee receives injuries in fall after roof collapses

At approximately 2:10 p.m. on March 29, 2004, Employee #1, a carpenter, was work ing on a roof under construction. The height of the roof was approximately 36-ft . As Employee #1 occupied a 6-ft by 10-ft segment of the roof, it collapsed unde rneath him. He fell along with a gasoline portable generator, tools, and lumber. The collapsed roof segment was connected to the steel joists of the wood nailer s via four TF-46 hangers and two TF-34 hangers. Two TF-46 (A & B) and one TF-34 (C) were attached to each side of the wooden panel that was assembled on the gro und. The remaining hangers were to be nailed on the roof: one TF-46 (D), one TF- 46 (E), and one TF- 34 (F). A 4-ft by 8-ft skylight opening was bordered by four 4-in. by 6-ft subpurlins. TF hangers D, E, and F came down with the collapsed r oof segment, while TF hanger A and B remained nailed to the roof. TF hanger C al so came down, however nailed to a ripped piece of its wood nailer. Initially, em ployer secures the hangers on the roof using 16D 2.125-in. by 0.148-in. screw sh ank nails, one nail per sheet for every 4 ft. Accordingly, if the TF-34 is naile d, the two TF-46 will not be nailed, and if the two TF-46 are nailed, the TF-34 will not be nailed. There was no evidence that hangers D, E, and F were nailed. The hangers are nailed off completely by the nailing crew when the entire deck n ailing takes place, normally after 30,000 square feet of the roof has been compl eted. According to the hangers' manufacturer, 2-10D nails are required to secure the hangers to obtain the listed maximum allowable load of 825-lb. The manufact urer does not have any maximum allowable load data when one nail or no nails use d with these hangers. The live load exerted on this roof segment was approximate ly 560-lb, and the dead load was approximately 240-lb, which was a total of weig ht 800-lb near the maximum load. Employee #1 was transported via helicopter to a medical center for treatment and hospitalized for postoperative care lasting th ree weeks.

Incident on Jun 4, 2003: Employee falls from roof and sustains multiple fractures

At approximately 7:30 a.m. on June 4, 2003, an employee of Panelized Structures Inc. raised a stack of 45 plywood sheets, 4 ft by 8 ft by 0.5 in., along with 2- ft by 8-ft boards, and hangers, onto the top of the roof of building number 8, u tilizing a fork lift. The employee went to the top of the roof via an extension ladder to unload the plywood sheets. As he pulled one plywood sheet off the stac k and stepped backward, he fell 21 ft through a 2- ft by 8-ft roof opening down to the concrete floor, sustaining serious multiple fractures of his both feet an d left elbow. He was hospitalized and treated for fractures.

Incident on Aug 26, 1997: Employee injured in fall through roof opening

At 8:30 a.m. on August 26, 1997, Employee #1, a carpenter, was framing a roof dr ain opening when he fell through it. He suffered a fractured pelvis and left hee l, and a cracked rib. The employer had provided a fall protection system that ut ilized ANSI certified clips, but Employee #1 failed to hook up the body harness he was wearing.

Incident on Jun 9, 1995: Employee suffers multiple fractures in fall

Employee #1, a carpenter/welder for Panelized Structures, Inc., was part of a cr ew that was assembling a panelized roof system for a tilt-up building under cons truction. The roof was 28 ft above a concrete slab. The employees were wearing h arnesses and were tied off 8 ft back from the forward edge of the panel installa tion by 14 ft lanyards equipped with shock absorbers. While the rest of the crew moved to assemble another bay, Employee #1 dropped back to weld a knife plate l ocated between girders on another column. Employee #1 fell. He does not remember the circumstances of the fall, or if he was tied off at the time. He was found with his harness and lanyard intact. The shock absorber on the lanyard showed no sign of shock load. Employee #1 suffered multiple fractures in his right hip, r ight elbow, right radius, and a shattered right wrist.