Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report: A Sixteen-Year-Old Male Died After Falling 27 Feet at a Residential Construction Site in Alabama

摘要

A 16-year-old male framing construction crew member (the victim) died after falling 27 feet from the third story of a residential dormitory construction site. The victim was moving roof trusses that were to be anchored in place using a nail gun. He was supporting himself on an 8-inch wide structural wooden beam. The victim was not wearing or using personal fall protection equipment. When the victim fell to the ground floor inside the building, at least one of the 8-foot by 4-foot trusses fell with him or just behind him, striking his head when he impacted the ground. Co-workers notified the supervisor who immediately called 911. Co-workers and other witnesses went to the victim to assist him. Emergency responders arrived within a few minutes, and on observing the severity of the head injury, transported the victim to a local city hospital where he was pronounced dead. NIOSH investigators concluded that to help prevent similar occurrences, employers should: Ensure that all employees are provided fall protection when exposed to fall hazards$ Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive written safety program$ Provide comprehensive safety training to employees to include, but not be limited to, safe work practices, hazard awareness, identification, and avoidance$ Ensure that workers who are part of a multilingual workforce comprehend instructions in safe work procedures for the tasks to which they are assigned$ and Ensure compliance with child labor laws which prohibit youth less than 18 years of age from conducting work recognized to be especially hazardous. Additionally, general contractors should ensure through contract language that all subcontractors on site have appropriate safety programs.