Abstract: At approximately 5:50 a.m. March 17, 2012, Employee #1, a 54-year-old male at California Institution for Men, a prison for adult men, tripped over a piece of plywood and fell down approximately fourteen-feet from the guard tower. A coworker was relieving Employee #1 at tower 12. When the coworker arrived at the base of the tower, he noticed the security hatch was locked open and the rope attached to the pulley and bag was being lowered down by Employee #1. The coworker stated he began climbing up the tower ladder and detected movement with the tower and he heard some mumbling noise. When the coworker got into the tower he could not locate Employee #1. He proceeded to the outside balcony area and did not see Employee #1. The coworker stated he looked over the balcony ledge and observed Employee #1 lying motionless on his back and moaning. Employee #1 stated as he was pulling the coworker's bag up to the tower, his right heel got caught on the plywood, he fell through the guardrails and landed approximately fourteen-feet to the ground. Employee #1's diagnosis was L1-L4 transverse process fractures and a right lower rib fracture. Employee #1 was released from the hospital on March 19, 2012.