105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14399695

WATER TOWER,ROPE,PAINT,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,ENTANGLED,SANDBLASTING

Event
WATER TOWER,ROPE,PAINT,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,ENTANGLED,SANDBLASTING
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14399695
Report ID
626300

Event description

EMPLOYEE FALLS FROM ELEVATION

Investigation abstract

Three employees were preparing to paint a 160-ft water tower. Two coworkers were rom injuries suffered from the fall. sandblasting from boatwains chairs and Employee #1 was stationed at the top to ensure the coworkers' ropes falls would not become entangled as they changed loc ation. They all were wearing safety belts with lanyards attached to rope falls w hich were tied in a bowline knot around the bent pipe of the water tower, which was sufficient to sustain a 3400 lb static loading. Employee #1 lost his hard ha t to a gust of wind. Employee #1 lost his balance while trying to catch his hard has and fell. Employee #1 was sliding down the rounded surface of the water tan k when the rope fall snapped and he fell to the ground below. Employee #1 died f

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 18 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    5
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    12
    Environmental factor
    18
    Task assigned
    1

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