Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 114290.015 - Employee's heart stops when struck by falling scaffold plank

Accident Summary Nr: 114290.015 -- Report ID: 0950632 -- Event Date: 09/13/2018
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
1350387.015	09/13/2018		238990	Sahara Scaffold

Abstract: At 7:45 a.m. on September 13, 2018, Employee #1 and three coworkers, employed by a scaffolding contractor, were dismantling a five-level scaffold next to a new three-story multifamily condominium building. Coworker #1 was at the highest position of the four employees, working from a balcony and removing scaffold components that he then passed down to Coworker #2. Coworker #2 would pass the materials down to Coworker #3, who would pass them to Employee #1 working on the ground level. Coworker #1 had obstructed vision due to the scaffold and the balcony. Consequently, Coworker #1 was "blindly" passing the components to Coworker #2. Coworker #1 passed a plank to Coworker #2 and then immediately passed down a second plank. Coworker #2 was unable to take hold of the second plank. The second plank, which weighed approximately 40 pounds, fell and struck Employee #1 on the chest. Employee #1 sustained a cardiac contusion, and his heart arrested (asystole). Emergency services provided initial treatment and then transported Employee #1 to the hospital, where he was admitted for further treatment.

Keywords: Blunt force trauma, Cardiac Arrest, Chest, Contusion, Dismantling, Falling Object, Heart, Obstructed View, Plank, Residential Construction, Scaffold, Struck By, Untrained, Work Surface

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Multi-family dwelling		New project or new addition			3	45

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	1350387.015	31	M	Hospitalized injury		Laborers, except construction	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Plastering Fatality Cause:

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