Torres

BACKGROUND

Design was hired by Santa Monica Seafood Company (SMS) as the general contractor to renovate and expand its seafood processing facility. As part of the project, Design subcontracted with C&L Refrigeration (C&L) to install new refrigeration units. C&L in turn hired H.J. Vast (Vast) as a sub- subcontractor to do electrical work. Torres was an employee of Vast. The renovation of the SMS facility required workers to be on the roof, which contained 111 skylights. The roof was roughly

1 All further statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure unless otherwise indicated.

2 divided into western and eastern sections by a pipe rack with the skylights on the western section closer together than the skylights on the eastern section. Design and C&L discussed the safety hazard posed by the skylights. To address the hazard, C&L created a safety plan. C&L required its workers to walk due west and noted that there would be delineators with caution tape in certain areas to indicate paths of travel. The plan also required workers to use several portable skylight barricades if any work took place closer than six feet from any skylight. C&L made the barricades available to…