Injury Narrative: Carpenter Falls 13 Feet When Pump Scaffold Collapses

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  In June of 2015, a 54-yearold carpenter suffered two broken legs when the pump jack scaffold he was working from collapsed and he fell 13 feet. The incident occurred at a two -story residence where siding was being installed. The employer, who usually works by himself, hired the carpenter and another worker for this job. The carpenter had over 10 years' experience. At the beginning of the job, five days before incident occurred, the employer and the injured worker erected a pump jack scaffold. This aluminum scaffolding system had three 24-foot poles and a 24-foot plank. The employer owned the scaffold. Both the employer and the injured worker had experience setting up and working from scaffolds. On the day of the incident, the carpenter was standing on the scaffold plank 13 feet off the ground when first the right and then the center pole separated from the building causing the scaffold to collapse and the carpenter to fall to the ground He was hospitalized with two broken legs and underwent multiple surgeries. Over nine months later he is still undergoing rehabilitation and is unable to work. An investigation determined: 1. The scaffold was incorrectly set up. Finishing and roofing nails were used to secure the bracing to the roof instead of the screws required by the scaffold manufacturer. 2. A competent person was not involved in the erection and inspection of the scaffold. 3. A personal fall arrest system was not used by the injured worker. There were anchor points on the roof that could have been used. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Construction Industry Construction Materials Education Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Staff Development Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Accident Prevention Construction Construction Materials Fall Protection Falls Harnesses Injuries Personal Protection Personal Protective Equipment PPE Safety Education Safety Equipment Safety Measures Safety Practices Scaffolds Training Traumatic Injuries Work Environment Workers Worker Safety

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• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051442
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-146-2016, 2016 Apr; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Injury narrative: carpenter falls 13 feet when pump scaffold collapses
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:658dfe319ce404683c7c4d0a460a80ae04e701588ddd12e0e94514a1bc9432c2a2e5af11db8c59435f98f0bb119ecea8cd86c7a1a2596cf87bc18880bf22ffc0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211400/cdc_211400_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 433.61 KB ]