OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #221639214
RADFORD STUDIO CENTER LLC
STUDIO CITY, CA·
Event description
Employee dies of head and neck injuries in fall from catwalk
Investigation abstract
At 6:50 a.m. on February 6, 2024, an employee was working as an engineering underneath by 2-inch by 4-inch wooden supports (sometimes referred to as "ledgers"). A particular section of this catwalk had a deteriorated ledger that was not bearing the 4-inch by 12-inch underlying support beam, but instead was improperly nailed to a roof truss. The deteriorated ledger was weakened likely due to age, environmental conditions and repeated stress loads over many decades. As the crew walked along the catwalks, the employee stood on the weakened section of catwalk. Suddenly, and without warning, the ledger supporting the floorboard broke apart and collapsed as the employee was standing on this section of catwalk. The employee fell 41 feet and forcefully impacted the ground below. The employee was pronounced dead by responding emergency technician for a television and film production company. The employee was medical services shortly after the fall. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, neck and legs. working with a crew which included Employee #1 and Employee #2. The crew was working on wooden catwalks located in Stage 3. The crew was collecting and removing lighting cable equipment that was hanging from the wooden platforms. One platform was accessible via a wooden staircase that continued upward and was connected to the other wooden catwalk platforms. The walking surface of these catwalks consisted of wooden floorboards of various sizes, including as 2-inch by 6-inch and 2-inch by 8-inch boards. These floorboards were supported
Victim
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#1 Fatality Age 41 M
- Event type
- 5
- Occupation code
- 214
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