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Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200100477 - Employee killed in fall from telecommunications tower

Accident Summary Nr: 200100477 -- Report ID: 0522300 -- Event Date: 06/24/1999
Inspection NrDate OpenedSICNAICSEstablishment Name
30250758706/24/199917990Eagle Construction Co., Inc.

Abstract: On June 24, 1999, Employee #1 and a coworker, both tower hands with Eagle Construction Company, Inc., were plumbing/leveling nine cellular antennas installed approximately 150 ft above the ground on a 153 ft tall monopole telecommunications tower. After accessing the work area, Employee #1 and his coworker started to plumb the antennas on the south T-arm. When Employee #1 finished plumbing the westernmost antenna and running the jumper to the middle antenna, he moved to the west T-arm. He was adjusting the northernmost antenna when it rotated vertically 180 degrees, causing him to fall from the T-arm. Holding on with both hands to the vertical antenna pipe, Employee #1 started climbing it. He managed to reach the down tail bracket, but he could not maintain his grip and he fell 150 ft to the ground, landing on his back approximately 9 ft from the base of the tower. Employee #1 was killed. At the time of the accident, he was wearing a Klein Tools full-body harness equipped with a single 6 ft shock-absorbing lanyard and a nylon sling that was rated for 1 ton but was used for positioning only. Both ends of the lanyard were attached to a D-ring located on the left side of the harness, immediately next to the waist belt. The nylon sling was attached to a spreader bar that connected two D-rings located on opposite sides of the harness, directly below the waist belt and above the leg straps. The opposite end of the sling, equipped with a pelican hook, was attached to the D-ring on the right side of the harness. Neither Employee #1 nor his coworker had been provided with adequate fall protection. After accessing the antennae mounts, at least one of them would take a lanyard fastened to a D-ring on one side of the harness, wrap it around a horizontal member of the T-arm, and secure the second snap hook to a D-ring on the opposite side of the harness. Once in position, the tower hands would use a shock-absorbing lanyard and secure it to a different section of the T-arm. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the antenna mounts were not designed to support the weight of a person.

Keywords: COMMUNICATION TOWER, TELECOM WORK, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, OVERLOADED, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, UNSTABLE POSITION
Accident Details
End Use Project Type Project Cost Stories Non-building Height Fatality
Tower, tank, storage elevator New project or new addition $50,000 to $250,000 150 X

Employee Details
Employee # Inspection Nr Age Sex Degree of Injury Nature of Injury Occupation Construction
1 302507587 Fatality Other Occupation not reported Distance of Fall: feet
Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 150 feet
Cause: Steel Erection Of Solid Web-Moving Point To Point
Fatality Cause: Fall from/with structure (other than roof)

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