OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #745349
HEAD,UNCONSCIOUSNESS,STRUCK AGAINST,CARDIOVASC DISEASE,METAL LADDER,FALL
Event description
Employee killed in fall from ladder after suffering attack
Investigation abstract
On March 21, 1989, Employee #1, a chemical plant operator, began his shift at 12 n the ladder something happened that caused him to fall to the concrete floor. A t about 1:45 a.m., a supervisor found Employee #1 lying on his back at the botto m of a nine rung metal ladder that led to a platform walkway 9 ft 7 in. above th e floor. He was unconscious but breathing. His hard hat and safety glasses were lying beside him. A small amount of blood was at the back of his head. One of hi s feet was under the base of the ladder. Employee #1 was taken to Hanford Memori al hospital, where he died. Employee #1's last physical, in November 1988, showe d no health problems. He was supposed to take insulin for a diabetic condition. According to his wife, he had not been taking his insulin shots. Two witnesses s tated that Employee #1 bought eclairs to work the morning of March 20, 1989. Whi :00 midnight. At approximately 12:15 a.m., he met with the relief operator and p le working in the area, he possibly suffered some sort of attack, which caused h im to fall to the floor and strike his head. A preliminary medical examiner's re port showed that Employee #1 suffered hypertension and cardiovascular disease. roceeded with his rounds, walking through the boiler room and marking off items on his checklist. A round is made hourly to check various instruments and look f or possible problems. The job is done alone, and should take no longer than 10 m inutes. One of the areas he had to check was the carbon dioxide measuring appara tus located on the east wall of the boiler room behind the boilers. Apparently, Employee #1 noticed a water leak above the boiler and climbed the ladder to the platform to see where it was coming from. Either on his way up or on his way dow
Victim
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#981 Degree 0 Age 0
- Nature of injury
- 0
- Part of body
- 0
- Event type
- 0
- Source
- 0
- Occupation code
- 0
- Human factor
- 0
- Environmental factor
- 0
- Task assigned
- 0
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