Abstract: At approximately 9:20 on June 9, 1994, Employees #1 and #2 were 18 ft above a main roadway, installing a false platform at the bottom of the girders of a bridge under construction. The purpose of the platform was to catch debris falling from the construction of the bridge deck. The employees were constructing the platform with 2 in. by 6 in. by 9 ft 2 in. pine planks and 4 ft by 8 ft by 5/8 in. plywood sheeting. The planks were set 2 ft apart and the plywood was placed on top of them. Both employees were wearing safety belts and lanyards and were tied off to the vertical studs on top of the girders above them. When they reached a diaphragm, they had to crawl through to get to the other side. Employee #2's lanyard was long enough for him to stay tied off as he stepped through. Employee #1's lanyard, however, was a bit shorter and he had to unhook it to step through the diaphragm. As he did so, he stepped onto the end of a 2 by 6 that spanned from one girder to another. Employee #2 had a foot on the other end of the 2 by 6. Employee #1 stepped through and reached up to tie off his safety belt, but the 2 by 6 snapped at a knot, causing Employee #1 to fall 18 ft to the roadway. He sustained multiple fractures and was hospitalized. Employee #2 suffered multiple sprains.