Select Plastering Inc.: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jul 18, 2017: Employee unloading truck falls and fractures spine

At 9:35 a.m. on July 18, 2017, Employee #1 and Coworker #1, employed by a lathing and plastering company, were working at the construction site of a new residential development. They were unloading scaffolding equipment from the back of a flatbed truck, in preparation for erecting the scaffold for use by the lathing and plastering crew. Employee #1 had placed a wood plank, extending from the edge of the flatbed to the ground, to serve as a ramp for unloading. Holding two metal scaffolding frames, Employee #1 began to descend the plank. The plank displaced from the flatbed edge and fell to the ground, and Employee #1 also fell, a fall height of 4 feet 3 inches. He landed on the base of his spine. Emergency services were called, and Employee #1 was transported to the hospital. He was admitted and treated for a fractured lumbar disc. During the subsequent investigation, it was determined that no steps had been taken to secure the wood plank at either end. Employee #1, who had worked as a foreman for the employer, was wearing standard PPE at the time of the incident, and had received training as a competent person in the hazards, erection, and dismantling of scaffolding. However, the training did not include procedures for securing a plank for use as a ramp.

Incident on Mar 22, 2013: Worker injured in fall from scaffolding

On March 23, 2013, Employee #1, a 23-year-old male with Select Plastering Inc, w as working at a subdivision of new single family homes in Brea, California, and was installing exterior lath paper on the backside of a two-story single family home. Employee #1 was on the first level of a two level frame scaffold when he s tepped between the scaffolding and the building where there was a wall opening a nd fell to the ground approximately 7 ft. below. The inboard edge of the scaffol d platform was 5 in. from the building and the working level was fully planked w ith three standard scaffold planks with top rails and mid rails installed on the open side. The scaffold ties were in place. The supervisor (competent person) a nd the three workers had inspected the scaffold that morning and the employer pr ovided documentation of such. The scaffolding had been erected by the employer o n March 12, 2013, by the company's scaffold crew. The company's lathers started installing the exterior lath paper on the homes beginning on March 21, 2013 and was scheduled to finish on or about April 14, 2013. Employee #1 fell through the wall opening that had been constructed to fit a standard 6 ft. by 8ft. patio sl iding door, of which the header for the opening was approximately 18 in. above t he working platform. The day of the incident it was Employee #1's first day with the employer; however, he had five years of experience working as a lather for other companies. Employee #1 stated that he did not realize there was an opening where he was working until he fell. Employee #1 also stated that he stepped on the edge of the scaffold plank while placing the paper and not having the wall t o push back on with his foot, he lost his balance and slipped through the openin g down to the ground. The two other lathers who were installing paper on the two other sides of the home, they did not see the fall, but heard his shout for hel p and responded. Employee #1 was transported to UCI Medical Center was admitted for surgery due to a fractured leg. Employee #1 was released three days later.