Construction Fatality Narrative: Roofer Falls Constructing Leading Edge of Metal Roof [2023]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  SUMMARY A 35-year-old roofer died while constructing the leading edge of the metal roof of a warehouse. He had worked for the contractor at a previous location and was on this worksite for five days. He was part of a nine-member crew installing the low pitch roof. The crew started the job about a week before, at which point they installed anchors and nine lifelines on the roof. On the day of the incident, the crew used a boom supported elevating work platform to reach the rooftop. All wore full-body harnesses. Shortly after they started, it began to rain, which made the roof slippery. They used the platform to get down and left their lifelines about 20 feet from where they got off the roof. When the rain stopped, they used the platform to get back onto the roof. The roofer was walking toward his lifeline and about eight feet away from it when he fell from the unprotected edge. A coworker who witnessed the fall said he grabbed the steel framing as he fell but lost his hold and dropped 33 feet to the gravel warehouse floor. The foreman performed CPR, but the roofer died at the scene. Following the incident, investigators found: Fall protection equipment was not properly installed and used, specifically: o Roof anchors installed with unapproved and fewer screws than specified by the manufacturer. o Multiple lifelines attached to a single anchor. Lifelines connected together and wrapped around beams. The employer did not have a required fall protection work plan on site. A walk around safety inspection had not been documented. REQUIREMENTS Employers must: Ensure that a fall arrest system, fall restraint system, or positioning device system is provided, installed, and implemented in accordance with fall protection system specifications when employees are exposed to fall hazards of six feet or more to the ground or lower level while constructing a leading edge. 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. Document walk-around inspections and make documentation available for review. RECOMMENDATIONS FACE investigators concluded that to help prevent similar occurrences employers should: Develop policies that require workers to always remain attached to lifelines and to place them so they are able to reattach and maintain 100% tie-off when they move between platforms and other surfaces. Provide and frequently reinforce training on proper use of fall protection equipment with emphasis on always attaching before detaching when switching lifelines so that workers maintain 100% tie-off. [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 Protective Measures Roofers Roofing And Sheet Metal Work Safety Education Safety Equipment Training 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:
  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:20067393
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 71-237-2023, 2023 Apr; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Construction fatality narrative: roofer falls constructing leading edge of metal roof
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2624fb8f9e6a105e9ce1b0ae2fd60d869284820f7619fe710668ff1ef8d66139b96145b275f29ed5c5598ed9212d5f95b9c38ce5f1d9b1e3e388435d798a753e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229162/cdc_229162_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 356.37 KB ]