Abstract: An electric power generation plant was going to have a metal-grate platform cleaned and painted. The platform was located 9.1 meters above a river and was constructed of metal grating, which had been covered with plywood in 1994. A second, upper, level of grating was put into use at that time. A plant employee was removing debris from the platform. The employee was standing on the lower-level plywood-covered grating, shoveling the debris off the grating so that an outside contractor could paint it. Apparently, he had cleared one section, and broke through the plywood and grating when he moved onto the next section. He fell into the river and drowned. (There were no witnesses to the accident.) The employer had not evaluated the plywood or grating to verify the integrity of the working surface before the employee got onto the platform.