Inspection Detail

Inspection: 102257821 - Barron Builders

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on May 18, 1993, Employee #1, the maintenance supervisor for an apartment complex, got on the roof of building 4 to inspect the work that had been done and to get an estimate of what additional work was needed. After taking inventory of the materials that had been used, he turned away from the section of the roof where the decking had been removed to see what other areas were in need of repair. As he stepped backward, he began mashing his foot in the area where he was standing, as if to see how sturdy the roof was. He backed up to the area of the roof where the decking had been removed and stepped on the end of one of the old exposed rafters. Under his weight (6 ft 4 in. tall, 275 to 300 lb) the rafter twisted and the employee lost his balance, falling in the center of the rafter. The rafter and the soffit (plywood) underneath broke and he fell through, 18 ft 8 in. to the concrete below. Employee #1 died several hours later of injuries sustained to the head.

Keywords: DECKING, HEAD, ROOF, WORK RULES, RAFTER, FALL, ROOF OPENING, WALKING BACKWARD, UNGUARDED, INATTENTION