Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 201352572 - Employee falls from an elevated platform and is killed

Accident Summary Nr: 201352572 -- Report ID: 0419700 -- Event Date: 08/30/2004
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
306753161	08/31/2004	1799	238990	Jack Ethridge Tank Co., Inc.
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
306753146	08/30/2004	1623	237110	Gruhn May, Inc.

Abstract: On August 30, 2004, the owner of a company was a member of a crew who were erecting a water tank that had been relocated from Kissimmee to Atlantic Beach, Florida. The owner was on a catwalk of the water tank, approximately 70 feet above the ground. To be lowered to the ground, he entered a crane suspended personnel platform. The investigation revealed that the platform was not built to OSHA's design criteria. For instance, it only had a top rail on three sides, there were no mid-rails or enclosures, and on the fourth side, there was only a chain. One end of the chain was welded into one of the corner posts. The other end of chain could be fastened by a hook into another corner post to close the fourth side. When the owner entered the platform, he did not fasten the chain across the opening, and wore no personal fall protection equipment. He used his foot to push the platform away from the catwalk, and signaled the crane operator to lower the platform. At this time, he fell from the platform to the ground. His cause of death was from multiple blunt force injuries which included rib, spine and pelvic fractures, and lacerations of his heart, lungs, liver and other organs.

Keywords: LACERATION, RIB, MIDRAIL, AERIAL LIFT, FRACTURE, SPINE, CONSTRUCTION, PELVIS, FALL, FALL PROTECTION

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Tower, tank, storage elevator		New project or new addition		$250,000 to $500,000		105	X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	306753161			Fatality	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 70 feet Cause: Erecting structural steel Fatality Cause: Fall, other
2	306753146					Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Fatality Cause:

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