Construction Fatality Narrative: Siding Installer Falls 23 Feet from Pump Jack Scaffold [2022]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  SUMMARY: A 38-year-old siding installer died when he fell 23 feet from a pump jack scaffold. The siding installer, who owned his own construction company, was working for a subcontractor to install siding at a new construction apartment complex. On the day of the incident, the installer accessed the scaffold platform at the building's third floor level by climbing an extension ladder. The scaffold was not equipped with a guardrail system; it only had a workbench, which alone does not meet the requirement of a guardrail system. The installer provided his own full body harness, but he was not wearing it. The subcontractor provided the pump jack scaffolds and the rest of the personal fall arrest system consisting of a vertical rope lifeline with a rope grab and connector. The subcontractor required that site workers use the personal fall arrest system. As the installer was working from the scaffold platform, he fell 23 feet, landing on a pile of construction materials on the ground. He died of multiple blunt force injuries due to the fall. Investigators found: All employees had received fall protection training. The site superintendent reported that he held weekly site-wide safety meetings, which included an emphasis on the requirement for workers to use personal fall arrest systems. In addition, he did safety walk-arounds once or twice per day to ensure workers were using fall protection. On the day of the fatal incident, he had not yet done a walk-around inspection. REQUIREMENTS: Employers must: Protect each employee on a scaffold from falling ten feet or more to a lower level, by providing either: (a) A personal fall arrest system; or (b) Guardrails. Ensure guardrails are installed along all open sides and ends of platforms. Develop and implement a written fall protection work plan including each area of the work place where the employees are assigned and where fall hazards of ten feet or more exist. (Note: A fall protection work plan is not required where a guardrail system eliminates the fall hazard.) RECOMMENDATIONS: FACE investigators concluded that general contractors and sub-contractors should: Use guardrails on scaffolds whenever practical instead of or in addition to personal fall protection. Emphasize the requirement that workers maintain 100% tie off. This should be written in the work contract. Inspect scaffold operations at the start of each day before work begins and periodically throughout the day to ensure workers use fall protection. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Construction Industry Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Construction Fall Protection Falls Personal Protective Equipment PPE Safety Education Safety Equipment Scaffolds Training Worker Safety
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• 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:20066068
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-227-2022, 2022 Sep; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Construction fatality narrative: siding installer falls 23 feet from pump jack scaffold
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cb2951f9aafa51f1b8e918d60f7ef4d089df31aaabc9bf0af2b92d2c8084eb7f0d312a7eae643e12980d951e2de2c26e1d1a19027fa5f8c52d74a189eded3349
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229127/cdc_229127_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 344.81 KB ]