Construction Injury Narrative: Roofer Falls 10 Feet from Fixed Ladder [2021]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  A 30-year-old roofer was seriously injured after falling 10 feet from a fixed ladder used to gain access to a warehouse roof. His employer was a roofing contractor hired by the general contractor to work on the roof of a newly constructed warehouse building. As the building was nearing completion, the general contractor notified the roofing contractor that there was a leak in the roof. On the day of the incident, three roofing workers arrived at the building to repair the leak. The general contractor superintendent offered them the use of a boom lift to access the roof. They did not have enough safety harnesses to use the lift. So at the suggestion of the superintendent, they decided to use a fixed ladder to gain access to the roof. The ladder was located in an electrical room inside the warehouse. The 38-foot steel vertical fixed ladder had a metal cover at its bottom secured by a padlock, to prevent unauthorized access. The ladder also had a safety system installed on it consisting of a climbing trolley attached to an aluminum track or carrier located between the ladder's side rails. The trolley had a locking carabineer to which the climber can directly connect the front waist D-ring of their full body harness. The trolley moves with the climber and if they fall, it immediately arrests the fall. The roofers did not have the required safety gear for the ladder, nor were they aware that they needed it. The superintendent then unlocked the ladder cover. One of the roofers climbed the ladder and went through a hatch onto the roof. Another roofer began climbing the ladder. Rainwater coming through the open roof hatch had made the ladder slippery, which caused him to lose his grip on a ladder rung. He then fell 10 feet to the plywood roof of the electrical room. He was hospitalized with injuries to his chest and legs. Investigators found that none of the roofer's or the general contractor's employees were trained on how to use the fixed ladder and its safety system. REQUIREMENTS: Employers must train employees to recognize ladder hazards and the procedures to minimize these hazards. Climbing and descending fixed ladders. Ladder safety devices. RECOMMENDATIONS: FACE investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences: Ensure that employees have safety equipment, systems, and devices required for assigned tasks and that they are trained on how to properly use them. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using ladder safety systems. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Construction Industry Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Workplace
• Keywords:
  Construction Hazards Ladders Protective Measures Roofers Roofing Safety Education Safety Practices Slips, Trips, And Falls Training Work Environment Workers Worker Safety

  More +
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Lay Publication
• 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:20063917
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-211-2021, 2021 Oct; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Construction injury narrative: roofer falls 10 feet from fixed ladder
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0187ba98d7ed0f7856997ba1265ed8daa565a5c59cc7ed67735de29d5e69c174c4a89f64ef4d2022c1b30de2a186ab584698062ecb651fe741b4a8c2bf677cbb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229110/cdc_229110_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 227.04 KB ]