Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) for Wisconsin: Mason Dies Following Three-Story Fall From Improvised Scaffolding

摘要

A 35-year-old male mason (the victim) died as a result of falling from a scaffolding that had been improvised. The victim and two co-workers had been contracted to repair the brick facing near the top of a three story apartment building. The workers had improvised a scaffolding by lashing two rectangular metal frames to two extension ladders, and lashing a single fourteen-foot section of another extension ladder horizontally to the metal frames to create a platform worksurface. The platform worksurface was supported by two welded, bent metal rods that were hooked over the parapet wall. Also, they had attached a rope pulley system to one of the metal braces, and were using the pulley to raise five-gallon buckets of cement to the victim while he stood on the platform worksurface. At the time of the incident, the victim was standing on the platform, while a co-worker was positioned on one of the extension ladders and the other co-worker was on the ground at the base of the ladder. The victim instructed the worker on the ground to raise a bucket of cement. As the victim raised the bucket, it became stuck and the worker pulled firmly on the rope to dislodge it. The worker heard a cracking sound from above, and saw the victim fall to the ground. An onlooker called the paramedics, which arrived and transported the victim to the morgue. The Wisconsin FACE investigator concluded that, to prevent similar occurrences, employers should: (1) ensure that equipment is only used for the purpose for which it was designed. (2) provide equipment that is approved and designed to meet the requirements of the job tasks.