Abstract: At approximately 6:50 a.m. on April 18, 1996, Employee #1 was working with a crew removing planking from the roof of a warehouse on the wharf of the Mississippi River in New Orleans. A saw cut had been made in the boards along a building girder prior to pulling them up. This 3 to 4 ft wide area of boarding was considered weak, and employees were told to stay off it. When Employee #1 stepped onto four of the weakened planks, they broke and he fell 30 ft to the concrete floor. He was killed. The approximately 1 1/4 in. thick planking was composed of 1 by 6s, nailed and butted together and was covered with tar paper and gravel. There were no safety lines or warning signs along the leading edge of the operation. The company owner and foreman had been on the roof before work began surveying for any unsafe conditions. The company needs to formalize its safety program with respect to fall hazards and use appropriate safety equipment or warning devices.