Inspection Detail

Inspection: 123155434 - Handy Man Services

Inspection Information - Office: Bridgeport Area Office

Investigation Summary

On July 24, 2004, an employee (sole proprietor) of Handy Man Services was power washing a residential roof. In order to perform his job, the employee installed scaffolds (alongside the roof) that were secured by brackets that were mounted into the sub-roofing plywood. An investigation revealed that the roof brackets were improperly installed and that the nails that were used to secure the roof brackets were undersized for their intended application. The manufacturer of the bracket system, Qual-Craft Industries, Inc., based in Stoughton, MA, specified that 20d nails were to be used with the brackets and that the mounting system was to be driven into a roof joist. Instead, the employee drove 10d nails into the sub-roofing plywood. Consequently, the scaffolding system collapsed because the braces and nails did not properly support the weight of the employee and the wood planks. The employee fell approximately 11.68 feet to the ground. The homeowner who observed the accident called emergency medical services. However, due to the nature and severity of his injuries, the employee was killed.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, COLLAPSE, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, CLEANING, UNSTABLE SURFACE, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, SCAFFOLD