OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #998294
HEAD,PARALYSIS,INSTALLING,WORK RULES,SLIP,CONSTRUCTION,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,NECK,TUBULAR SCAFFOLD
Event description
EMPLOYEE INJURED IN FALL FROM MASONRY SCAFFOLD
Investigation abstract
AT APPROXIMATELY 11 AM ON DECEMBER 19, 1987, TWO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WERE INSTA IM. HE THEN LANDED ON THE FROZEN GROUND, FACE DOWNWARD, POINTING AT AN ANGLE AWA Y FROM THE BUILDING. HE SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD INJURIES AND A BROKEN NECK AND WAS PARALYSED FROM THE WAIST DOWN. HE WAS IN A COMA UNTIL JANUARY 8TH, WHEN HE REGA INED CONSIOUSNESS. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE BRIGHT, CLEAR , AND SUNNY. THERE WAS NO SCAFFOLD GUARDING USED AT ANY TIME DURING THIS WORK AC TIVITY WHICH HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS AT THIS LEVEL. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CONSIDERED AN EXPERIENCED CARPENTER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. LLING A ROW OF FELT PAPER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF A NEW CEMENT BLOCK WAREHOUSE. THE BUILDING WAS ABOUT 40 FEET WIDE BY 100 FEET LONG. THEY WERE USING A TUBULAR WEL DED FRAME MASONRY SCAFFOLD TO FACILITATE THE WORK; IT WAS CONSIDERED EASIER TO R EACH THE EAVES THIS WAY. THE SCAFFOLD WAS 2 STAGES HIGH, WITH THE DECK LEVEL ABO UT 12 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WALKING ALONG THE SINGLE ALUMINUM PLANK LAYING THE FELT WHILE HIS FOREMAN FOLLOWED ABOUT 8 FEET BEHIND HIM TACKIN G DOWN THE FELT. AT ABOUT 11 AM, EMPLOYEE #1 APPEARED TO SLIP OFF THE PLANK AND FALL HEAD FIRST INTO THE TOP MEMBER OF THE FIRST STAGE SCAFFOLD DIRECTLY BELOW H
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 33 M
- Nature of injury
- 12
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 5
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 547
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Task assigned
- 1
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