OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #745323
HIGH WIND,TRUSS,COLLAPSE,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,LACERATION,FALL,BRACING,CONTUSION
Event description
Four employees injured in fall with collapsing trusses
Investigation abstract
At approximately 8:00 a.m. on October 25, 1984, Employees #1, #2, #3, and #4 had next 19 trusses to collapse. The collapsing trusses carried the employee at the north end of the trusses to the concrete floor. The employee at the south end o f the trusses was knocked over the east cinder block sanctuary wall onto existin g masonry scaffolding. The employee on the north wall was knocked inside the bui lding and fell onto the concrete floor and truss debris. Employee #2, on the sou th wall, was able to maintain his balance and did not fall. Two employees were t aken to area hospitals and two employees went to shock trauma. Employees #1, #3, and #4 received severe bruises and strains to various parts of their bodies and one received a scrape to his chin. Apparently, the recommendations for truss in stallation by the truss plate institute had not been followed correctly. Bracing started erecting wooden trusses for the sanctuary roof of a new church that was was not installed properly and the correct size nails were not used. under construction. They were using a crane to lift the 40 ft long and 285 lb t russes into place. Between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. they had set 29 trusses into place and thought that they had braced them more than adequately. As the mornin g progressed, wind velocity picked up. At approximately 11:00 a.m., while employ ees were working off the north and south walls of the church sanctuary and two e mployees were up in the trusses, a strong (40 mph) gust of wind blew through fro m west to east, breaking the bracing loose at the eleventh truss and causing the
Victims (4)
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 49 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 554
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 27 M
- Nature of injury
- 7
- Part of body
- 16
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 567
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Hospitalized Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 3
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 567
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#4 Hospitalized Age 28 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 569
- Human factor
- 4
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
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