OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14296032

HEAD,GUARDRAIL,INSTALLING,PPE,UNSECURED,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,UNSTABLE POSITION

1985-10-15T00:00:00

Event: HEAD,GUARDRAIL,INSTALLING,PPE,UNSECURED,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,UNSTABLE POSITION
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14296032
Report ID: 352440

Event description

Employee injures head in fall from work scaffold

Investigation abstract

On October 15, 1985, Employee #1 and a coworker were on a scaffold installing dr e end was supported by the second floor landing and the other end by a 4 in. wid e ledge on the west wall of the stairway. The ledge was 6 ft 5 in. above the lan ding between the first and second floors. The plank was supported approximately in the center by two 2 ft by 4 in. metal studs, one of which was attached on eac h side of the plank and extended to the landing. While Employee #1 was walking o n the plank to position two pieces of drywall material, the plank gave way from its support on the ledge. Employee #1 fell to the concrete landing between the f irst and second floors, striking his head on the steps. He was hospitalized. The plank did not have any guardrails and no ppe was in use. Employee #1 had 19 yea rs of experience as a drywall installer. ywall in the stairway of a building under construction. The scaffold was constru cted so that a 4 ft by 8 ft by 1/2 in. piece of plywood was resting on three pie ces of lumber that were supported on one end by the second floor landing and on the other end by a self-propelled mobile scaffold located on the stairway landin g between the first and second floors. Because the piece of plywood could not be positioned properly in the stairway for them to complete the drywall installati on, the employees dismantled the scaffold and removed the mobile scaffold from t he landing. In its place they put a 2 in. by 12 in. by 14 ft piece of lumber; on

Victim

#1 Hospitalized Age 37 M

Nature of injury
3

Part of body
13

Event type
5

Source
42

Occupation code
573

Human factor
6

Environmental factor
13

Task assigned
1

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