UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: Employee #1, a window washer, was working on an office building in Anne Arundel County, MD. He had been assigned by the sole owner of the company to wash the windows on the south side of building C. Employee #1 secured two nylon type #16 Sol BR ropes to the 4 in. diameter metal pipes that were in reinforced concrete beams as part of the building structure. He was wearing a full body harness with a 3 ft shock-absorbing lanyard that had a grabbing device on it. He put on his bosun's chair over the top of the body harness, but he did not have a third line (a lifeline). Using a Sky Genie descent control device, Employee #1 attempted to rappel down the side of building C to start washing the windows. His supervisor, who was washing windows on the other side of the building, heard Employee #1 yell out to him for help because he had forgotten to hook up. By the time that the supervisor had reached where he had been working, Employee #1 had fallen 54 ft 5 in. to the soft ground. He sustained two broken ankles, and back, neck, and internal injuries. Employee #1 was flown by Trooper 2 to the Baltimore Shock/Trauma unit.