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 #978049

SEVERED,HEAD,COMMUNICATION TOWER,SPINE,WORK RULES,ELECTRICIAN,STRUCK AGAINST,CONSTRUCTION,FALL,TIE-OFF

Event
SEVERED,HEAD,COMMUNICATION TOWER,SPINE,WORK RULES,ELECTRICIAN,STRUCK AGAINST,CONSTRUCTION,FALL,TIE-OFF
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
978049
Report ID
454714

Event description

Employee injured in 35 ft fall from radio transmitting tower

Investigation abstract

Employee #1 and another electrician climbed a radio transmitting tower that was over 50 ft high and had evenly spaced members similar to a ladder. They were to remove a fiberglass antenna weighing approximately 3 to 4 lb. Employee #1 was we aring a lineman's belt to secure himself while in a working position, but was no t tied off when ascending or descending. While descending to another position, E mployee #1 fell approximately 35 ft, striking his head and upper body on an adja cent building edge and then rolling off. He landed on the roof of an equipment r oom approximately 6 ft below. Employee #1 sustained massive head injuries, a sev ered spine, and a broken leg.

Victim

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    5
    Source
    5
    Occupation code
    575
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    17
    Task assigned
    1

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