UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Abstract: At about 10:00 a.m. on February 28, 1985, Employee #1, age 19, and a coworker were laying tar paper underlayment before installing shingles on the 6-in-12 pitched roof of a three-story apartment building under construction. The coworker went to the other side of the roof and left Employee #1 rolling out the second run of paper between 3 and 6 ft from the edge of the eaves. Soon after, another coworker on a floor below called to the first coworker saying he heard something. The first coworker looked for Employee #1 but could not see him. Employee #1 had fallen approximately 27 ft off the roof to a first floor concrete stairwell landing. He suffered serious brain damage and a broken jaw; at last report was in critical condition, very unstable, and on ventilation. Employee #1 was reportedly an epileptic and took prescription drugs to control his condition. No determination could be made about whether a seizure or the effects of the drugs contributed to the accident. None of the employees on the roof were not wearing safety belts and no other fall protection had been provided. There were no witnesses to the accident.