UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At 4:00 p.m. on January 4, 2021, Employee #1 and coworkers, employed by a constr uction company, were engaged in the demolition of a commercial building. The fo ur employees had worked as pipe layers (trenching and excavation work) in the pa st and did not have the background to understand the hazards and means of protec tion when working at heights. They were working from the building's trusses and using chain saws to cut out the rafters. No employee had been provided fall pr otection or PPE to protect them from the hazards of operating chain saws. The c rew later stated they were not trained on fall protection, and the employer was unable to provide proof of fall protection training for his employees. As they were chain sawing the rafters connected to the trusses, the roof collapsed. Emp loyee #1 and the others fell, a fall height of approximately 15 feet. Employee #1 died at the scene. Three employees were transported to the hospital, one for treatment of a fractured leg, the others for contusions.