Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200541936 - Employee Is Killed in Fall from Suspension Scaffold

Accident Summary Nr: 200541936 -- Report ID: 0317500 -- Event Date: 10/01/2009
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312635907	10/01/2009	1721	238320	Odyssey Painting Company, Inc.

Abstract: On October 1, 2009, four employees were abrasive blast cleaning the McKees Rocks Bridge in McKees Rocks, PA. They were performing the work from suspension scaffolds, within Containment Number 17, which enclosed Pier Number 16. At approximately 2:00 p.m., a wire rope failed on the suspension scaffold being used to blast clean the fascia beam on the upriver side of the bridge. Employee #1, who was abrasive blast cleaning in close proximity to the failed wire rope, fell approximately 124 feet and was killed. As part of the investigation, the wire rope was analyzed by the Materials Failure Division at the Salt Lake Technical Center. Analysis revealed extreme ablative damage to the wires at the failure site, significant enough to cause the wire rope to fail.

Keywords: WIRE ROPE, ABRASIVE BLASTING, BROKEN CABLE, CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, FALL, SCAFFOLD

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Bridge		Alteration or rehabilitation		$5,000,000 to $20,000,000		124	X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	312635907			Fatality	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 124 feet Cause: Exterior painting Fatality Cause: Fall from/with scaffold

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