Abstract: At approximately 1:07 p.m. on November 30, 2000, Employee #1, a window cleaner for Loft Management & Maintenance, was using a 24 ft portable, metal extension ladder to wash the courtyard windows on the first floor of a building in San Francisco. The ladder was extended between 15 and 16 ft. A coworker was holding the ladder while Employee #1 washed the windows. Employee #1 then asked for some towels, and the coworker left his position and walked approximately two steps to get them. During this time when the ladder was not being held, Employee #1 lost his balance and fell 14 ft to the ground. He was transported to the trauma center at San Francisco General Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. Employee #1 died at 7:07 p.m. on December 1, 2000. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 1675(j), concerning ladder use and safety.