Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 14490577 - Employee's Feet and Ankles Fractured in Fall When Tower Over

Accident Summary Nr: 14490577 -- Report ID: 0215800 -- Event Date: 07/30/2002
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
109911909	07/30/2002	1799	562910	National Audio

Abstract: On July 30, 2002, Employee #1 and coworkers were at an outdoor arena, erecting temporary aluminum towers and trusses to support stage lighting and audio equipment. The trusses were supported by four towers, each of which had a 4 ft tall base with a hinged base plate on top, onto which a 30 ft tall tower was attached. The hinged base plate made it convenient for the towers to be shifted from horizontal to vertical. Four bolts and nuts locked the tower to each base. Employee #1 climbed one of the towers to disengage a rope at the top. He was approaching the top of the tower when it began to overturn. Employee #1 rode the tower down until he was approximately 15 ft above the ground. He then leaped away from tower and landed on his feet. He sustained multiple fractures to his ankles, feet, and left knee. The tower he was climbing was secured by only one of the four attachment bolts.

Keywords: FRACTURE, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, BOLT, FALL, TOWER, ANKLE, FOOT, OVERTURN

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Tower, tank, storage elevator		Other		Under $50,000		34

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	109911909			Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 30 feet Cause: Temporary work (buildings, facilities) Fatality Cause: Fall from/with scaffold

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