Inspection Detail

Inspection: 127365070 - J,J,& M Masonry Contractors,Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 and coworkers were engaged in work on a house. Two coworkers, both mason laborers, were assigned by the foreman to dismantle a scaffold system on the east side of the house. The system consisted of two different scaffolds that together were 15 1/2 ft long by 4 ft wide and ranged in height from 26 ft 4 in. to 46 ft 2 in. One coworker was on the scaffold and the other was on the roof. This worker was dismantling the scaffold section on the roof and handing the scaffold planks his coworker, who then lowered the planks to the ground. The roof worker, who was not wearing any fall protection, picked up two scaffold planks with his right hand and removed the scaffold hanger bracket from the scaffold section with his left hand. He lost his balance and started to slide down the roof, so he dropped the handle bracket and grabbed a 2 by 4 that was nailed to the rooftop to keep from falling off. The hanger bracket fell 30 ft to the ground, just as Employee #1 was walking by the scaffold system. The approximately 121 lb bracket struck the right side of his head, causing massive head injuries. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where he died on April 22, 1996 after being removed from life support. He was not wearing a hard hat at the time of the accident.

Keywords: HEAD, HARD HAT, DISMANTLING, PPE, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, FALL PROTECTION, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, SCAFFOLD