Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120260203 - S & W Communication Corp.

Inspection Information - Office: Monrovia District Office

Investigation Summary

At About 3:15 p.m. on May 25, 1999, Employee #1, an employee of S and W communications, and a coworker began climbing an antenna. Employee #1 was to change the bolts on the KRTH FM antenna and a coworker was to change bolts on the K Cal 9 antenna. The weather was clear and dry, no grease oil or moisture was present on the antenna. Each employee was given a safety harness, positioning lanyard, spreader bar/safety latches, hard hat, safety shoes, and tool pouch, noticeably absent was the shock absorbing lanyard required for fall protection. Employee #1 was working on the outer leg of the antenna about 280 feet above the ground and the coworker was working 360 feet above the ground when the accident occurred. There were no eye witnesses to the accident. Upon examination of the coworker's climbing gear at the scene and later at his motel room there was no shock absorbing lanyard to be found and the coworker said he was never issued one. The coroner arrived and the body of the Employee #1 was turned over there was no shock absorbing lanyard attached to his "D" ring. Further examination of Employee #1 revealed that the fall restraint, fall positioning devices, and all equipment was of an approved type and none of the equipment appeared to be damaged. The tower supervisor stated he was at the base of the antenna and was getting ready to go up the antenna when the accident occurred. The tower supervisor did not see what caused the accident. The tower supervisor and another employee initially stated that employees were required to be 100 percent tied off at all times later each recanted that statement and said that employees were not required to be tied off while climbing to and from their work site and were only required to be tied off when they reached their work site. The tower supervisor said that employees would rest by using their spreader bars/safety lathes to hook on to the rungs of the vertical ladder every 20 to 30 feet. The cause of the accident was failure to be 100 percent tied off at all times when working above 4 feet.

Keywords: LANYARD, FALL, TOWER