Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126063924 - Clear Channel Communication Outdoor Division

Inspection Information - Office: Los Angeles District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on January 15, 2004, an employee, two coworkers, and a crane operator were working on two billboards. The crew was working at a small, single-story duplex apartment building that had two large billboards back to back in the front yard. Each billboard was 20-feet wide and 35-feet tall. At the bottom of the billboard signs are 28-inch-wide metal grate service decks that workers stand on while servicing the billboards. There are no guardrails on the decking except on a cross-over deck located at the south end that is intended for workers to access both billboard signs from the decking. On the inside of the decking is a horizontal life line used for fall protection. The decks run in a north-to-south direction, are 16 feet above the ground, and are accessed by an extension ladder. At the time of the accident, the two coworkers were already working from the service deck on the west side. The employee was climbing the access ladder and fell backwards to the soft ground. None of the crew witnessed the fall. The employee was wearing a fall protection harness when he was reached by the coworkers. He was conscious when they reached him, but then lost consciousness. The coworkers thought the harness was too tight, so they removed it and began CPR. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a few hours later. The coroners' report and the doctors who examined him could not conclusively state that it was not a medical condition that caused the fall, since he suffered from coronary artery disease, pulmonary congestion and a family history of cerebrovascular accidents (strokes).

Keywords: HEART, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, LADDER, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, ADVERTISING SIGN