UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At approximately 9:15 a.m. on August 30, 2013, Employee #1 and a crew were renovating and repairing at a townhouse and condominium complex. The complex was adjacent to a lagoon where water had severely damaged wood including at second story balconies, stairs and stucco walls. Employee #1 was working with a concrete crew that was installing concrete floors on a balcony. Employee #1 needed a tool brought up to the balcony. He leaned on a section of a 2 ft by 4 in. lumber railing at the edge of the balcony to look for the coworker. While leaning on the section, the railing became unattached and Employee #1 fell approximately 9.83 ft onto a patio below. The concrete crew foreman stated that Employee #1 had not been doing anything unusual and he had put his hand on the rail for support and leaned over slightly when the rail came off. Other coworkers stated that there was no mid-rail on the balcony and that the railing, which failed, had been attached to the outside of the framing. Emergency medical personnel were summoned. They arrived and transported Employee #1 to a hospital. He suffered injuries causing neck and leg pain, but no fractures were identified. Employee #1 was released the next day, August 31, 2013, with diagnosis of possible small tracheal and esophageal injury and edema in neck muscles and ligaments.