OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #735019
CHEST,FIREFIGHTER,HEAD,EXTENSION LADDER,WORK RULES,LADDER,FALL,ARM,FIRE TRUCK,LEG
Event description
FIREMAN INJURED WHEN LADDER BROKE
Investigation abstract
SEAGRAVE AERIAL LADDER TRUCK (MODEL #PA-20766) RESPONDED TO A FIRE CALL. THE DRI R HOSE. THE DRIVER AND ANOTHER FIREFIGHTER WERE PREPARING TO RELIEVE EMPLOYEE #1 AND PROVIDE STRAPS TO SECURE THE WATER HOSE. SUDDENLY THEY SAW THE LADDER TURN TO THE LEFT, SWAY, AND BREAK AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND EXTENSI ONS. EMPLOYEE #1 RODE THE LADDER DOWN APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AND SUSTAINED INJURI ES TO HIS HEAD, LEGS, CHEST, ARMS AND PELVIS. CAUSAL FACTORS INCLUDE THE FAILURE TO LOCK THE EXTENSIONS IN PLACE AND FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMM ENDATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR SETTING UP THE TRUCK AND LADDER. ALSO, THE ANGLE OF OPERATION WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR CLIMBING AND THE LADDER WAS OVEREXTENDED. VER PARKED WHERE INSTRUCTED AND BEGAN SETTING UP THE TRUCK. SINCE THE TRUCK WAS PARKED ON LEVEL PAVEMENT THE DRIVER DIDN'T BOTHER PUTTING OUT THE JACK PADS WHEN EXTENDING THE JACKS, NOR DID HE CHOCK THE TRUCK'S WHEELS. HE SET UP THE HOSE AN D LADDER BY ATTACHING THE HOSE TO THE END OF THE LADDER THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE, S INCE THE LOCK NUT FOR THE HOSE NOZZLE AT THE END OF THE LADDER WOULDN'T WORK. TH E LADDER WAS RAISED TO A 35 DEGREE ANGLE AND EXTENDED TO A LENGTH OF 100 FEET. W HEN WATER PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE HOSE EMPLOYEE #1 CLIMBED THE LADDER TO THE END. HE ATTACHED THE SAFETY BELT HE WAS WEARING AND PROCEEDED TO GUIDE THE WATE
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 59 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 25
- Occupation code
- 413
- Human factor
- 10
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Task assigned
- 2
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.