Abstract: At approximately 4:00 p.m. on June 28, 2000, Employee #1 and two coworkers were working on the third floor of a new apartment unit in Perry Hall, MD. Employee #1 was removing a crippler from a window opening in an 8 ft tall by 50 ft long section of wall that was lying over an unguarded 9 ft by 9 ft stairwell. He apparently had one foot on the window sill section of the opening and the other on the side of the opening. When the crippler came loose, Employee #1 lost his balance, which caused most or all of his weight to lean on the section of window sill. The section failed and he fell 18 ft through the unguarded stairwell opening, striking the cement floor head first. Employee #1 suffered massive head injuries and was flown to the shock trauma unit. He regained consciousness but remained at the shock trauma unit, where he died on July 2, 2000. None of the coworkers in the area of the exposed stairwell opening was wearing a personal fall arrest system.