Inspection Detail

Inspection: 124585266 - Ladder Co 108 Nycfd

Inspection Information - Office: New York State Department Of Labor Public Employee Safety & Health Bureau

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 and two other fire fighters, arrived at a fire in a six-story building. They saw people in the window of the apartment above the fire floor, and raised the ladder. Employee #1 climbed the ladder to rescue the occupants. He was descending the ladder with two children when the mother boarded, causing the ladder to move slightly. When the father boarded the ladder, it started to fall. One coworker was ascending to warn Employee #1 when the ladder twisted and fell. The coworker suffered lacerations to his tongue; he received six sutures, and was released. Employee #1 fractured his arm, spine, and scapula, and suffered bleeding in his lungs and trauma to his hips, head, legs and most other parts of his body. He was hospitalized and later died. The other coworker bruised his elbow while forcing open a bulkhead door; this incident was unrelated to the ladder accident.

Keywords: FIREFIGHTER, FRACTURE, HEAD, COLLAPSE, SPINE, FIRE, LADDER, OVERLOADED, FALL, ARM