Abstract: At approximately 7:17 a.m., Employee #1 climbed the spiral staircase of a water tower 130 ft to the balcony or catwalk. He was to climb a vertical aluminum ladder chained in place, a height of 153 in. from the balcony to the recently installed 24 in. manhole in the bottom of the water tank and pull a sandblasting hose up into the tank with the aid of a coworker, who was not yet present. According to the police report, the foreman said that Employee #1 was shouting but the noise of the air compressor drowned his voice. The foreman told other workers to turn off the compressor so he could hear, but he next heard a scream, turned around, and saw the employee lying face down on the ground. Employee #1 died. Employee #1 was wearing a life belt but there was no safety line, safety net, or other fall protection. He was also wearing cowboy boots and the balcony or catwalk was congested. The on-site technical engineering inspector recorded the following data that day: temperature 38 degrees F, 90 percent humidity, wind out of the west at 10 to 20 mph.