Laborer, pipefitter, and utility foreman crushed by falling block wall - Tennessee (superseded).

Details

• Personal Author:
  Lincoln JE
• Description:
  This document has been superseded and the new version can be found here. On April 18, 2013, a 24-year-old Hispanic laborer and a 37-year-old Hispanic pipefitter were crushed by a falling block wall when it failed; they died immediately of their injuries. A 46-year-old utility foreman was also injured in the incident. At the time of the incident, the laborer was applying caulking to the expansion joints of a block wall, and the pipefitter and the utility foreman were installing piping for the building's sprinkler system in a trench next to the block wall. A wind gust caused the block wall to fall onto the laborer, pipefitter, and utility foreman. The project superintendent called 911, and emergency medical services were dispatched and arrived at the incident within 4 minutes. The laborer and pipefitter were pronounced dead at the scene, and the utility foreman was airlifted to a local hospital. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include: 1. Deviation from engineering drawings. 2. Inadequate inspection of rebar placement. 3. Inadequate bracing for the block wall. 4. Wall height extending too far above the bracing. RECOMMENDATIONS: NIOSH investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: 1. Ensure that employees follow the engineering/architectural drawings during building construction and obtain engineering approval before plan changes are made. 2. Develop and follow a masonry wall bracing plan, train employees on proper masonry wall bracing, and ensure masonry walls are properly braced throughout the project. 3. Develop and implement a restricted/limited access zone.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Aluminum Compounds Environmental Monitoring Health Surveys Metal Workers Noise Occupational Health Preceptorship Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Temperature Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Construction Hazard Recognition Hazards Injuries Injury Prevention Racial Factors Recommendations Region 4 Safety Education Safety Monitoring Safety Practices Sociological Factors Surveillance Training Traumatic Injuries Work Areas Work Operations Work Practices

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• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Medical ; Wildland Fire ; Wildland Fire: Motor Vehicle ; Motor Vehicle: Miscellaneous
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFACE201402
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Studies ; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Tennessee ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-19
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051071
• Citation:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 2014-02, 2018 Jan; :1-19
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  23 - Construction - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  20130418
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:870e58fcdb80bcc6b5e8d38654a3b196f70a99e204c6452885826dffbc5f8c9569145afaa75253da5bcf96fedd4ae1dfae493633b03ebddabe8ac2370b583cfd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181724/cdc_181724_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.60 MB ]