Construction Injury Narrative: Framer Falls 8 Feet from Extension Ladder [2021]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  A 34-year-old framer was seriously injured after falling eight feet from an extension ladder. The framer worked for a framing contractor. The contractor had employed him for the past two years. On the day of the incident, the framer was working at the site of a new construction one-story house. Prior to the incident, the framer was setting up to nail a piece of plywood sheeting to a gable of the house. He positioned a 24- foot fiberglass extension ladder against the side of the house. The base of the ladder was resting on soft, uneven dirt. He began climbing up the ladder with the intention of securing the ladder to the house's top frame. As he was climbing the ladder, it shifted to the left and he fell eight feet to the ground. After his fall, the framer experienced numerous serious injuries that kept him from working for several months. REQUIREMENTS: You must place the ladder either: (a) With a secure footing on a firm, level support surface; or (b) Secure the ladder to prevent accidental displacement. You must make sure no employee carries any object or load that could cause the employee to lose balance and fall while climbing up or down the ladder. RECOMMENDATIONS: FACE investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar occurrences: Survey the worksite to assess the risks of working at height with ladders. Choose and provide employees with safer methods and equipment to work at heights, such as a scaffold or aerial lift. Train employees to use these methods and equipment. When using ladders: Re-check for stability and levelness while climbing the first few ladder rungs. Tie off the top of the ladder, and the bottom if possible, to prevent it from slipping sideways. Consider using ladder feet spikes to prevent the ladder base from slipping when placed on grass or dirt. Do not carry construction materials while climbing a ladder. Use a hoist to bring materials to a higher elevation. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Accidental Falls
  • Accidents
  • Construction Industry
  • Construction Materials
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
  • Staff Development
• Keywords:
  • Training
  • Safety practices
  • Hazards
  • Safety education
  • Worker safety
  • Construction materials
  • Slips, trips, and falls
  • Ladders
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• 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:20064104
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-212-2021, 2021 Dec; :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: framer falls 8 feet from extension ladder
• End Date:
  20260630
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229112/cdc_229112_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 234.50 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31e48416a39fcf859707ccd891fd3f945455d8b6fcbaf0eb18abac19f8fedfe7d2c31023ecc15077957cef4f13c941e3f33a226e07e5d57c0116c1cd108034e5