Inspection Detail

Inspection: 14848659 - Scf Decks Inc

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

Investigation Summary

ON 10/8/84, FOUR ROOFERS WERE COMPLETING A FLAT ROOF ON A 2 STORY OFFICE BLDG (210'X 50'). IT WAS A SINGLE PLY MEMBRANE ROOF INVOLVING NO BITUMINOUS "HOT" WORK. THE ROOF EDGE WAS SURROUNDED BY A DECORATIVE MANSARD PARAPET (METAL CLAD), 3' 6" VERTICAL HEIGHT AND 4' 8" SLANT DISTANCE. ALL THAT WAS LEFT TO DO WAS TO FINISH INSTALLING UPPER TRIM (COPING) PIECES, AND FINISH TRIM ON FOUR CORNERS. TWO METAL SECTIONAL LADDERS (40' AND 36') WERE AVAILABLE AND HAD BEEN USED AS NEEDED. HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF THE METAL WORK ON THE PARAPET WAS DONE FROM THE ROOF BY LEANING OVER THE PARAPET. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PARAPET (OUTSIDE) WAS A 3" WIDE DRIP EDGE WHICH WAS 28' ABOVE GRADE. THE JOB AT THIS STAGE WAS BEING SUPERVISED BY THE FIELD OPERATIONS MANAGER, WHO VISTED THE SITE EVERYDAY. HE DID NOT NECESSARILY REMAIN THERE FOR ANY FULL DAY, BUT WOULD DO SO IF CIRCUMSTANCES APPEARED TO WARRANT IT. BY THE MORNING OF 10/10/84, ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE CORNER TRIM ON THE NW AND NE CORNERS, THE CORNER TRIM ON THE SE CORNER AND MINOR FINISHING AND CLEAN UP. ONE EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING ON THE NW CORNER, WHERE ONE OF THE LADDERS WAS ERECTED. EMPLOYEE #1 FIRST FINISHED THE SE CORNER AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE NE CORNER. THE TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES WERE IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS, MAINLY ON THE WEST END. THE OPERATIONS MANAGER ARRIVED AT MID TO LATE MORNING AND CLIMBED TO THE ROOF BY THE LADDER AT THE NW CORNER, WHERE HE STOPPED TO ASSIST THE EMPLOYEE THERE. MEANWHILE, EMPLOYEE #1 CONTINUED AT THE NE CORNER, WHERE MOST OF THE WORK WAS BEING DONE FROM THE ROOF. AT ONE POINT IT WAS NECESSARY TO INSTALL TWO SCREWS. HE COULDN'T DO IT FROM THE TOP, SO, INSTEAD OF GOING DOWN TO THE GROUND AND ERECTING THE OTHER LADDER, HE EASED HIMSELF OVER THE PARAPET ONTO THE DRIP EDGE. HE WAS UNAWARE, UNTIL HE GOT THERE, THAT ONE OF THE HELPERS HAD APPLIED GASOLINE TO THE DRIP EDGE TO LOOSEN SOME TAPE WHICH WAS STUCK THERE. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS GASOLINE PRESENT, HE WENT AHEAD WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE SCREWS. HE WAS INSTALLING THE SECOND SCREW WHEN HE SLIPPED AND FELL TO THE CONCRETE BELOW, BREAKING HIS PELVIS, INJURING HIS BACK AND CUTTING HIS HEAD. MEANWHILE, THE OPERATIONS MANAGER WAS MAKING HIS WAY AROUND THE ROOF TO SEE HOW THINGS WERE GOING. HE WAS HEADING TOWARD THE NE CORNER WHEN HE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE METAL STRIKING SOMETHING. WHEN HE GOT TO THE CORNER AND SAW NO ONE HE DESCENDED AND FOUND EMPLOYEE #1 ON THE CONCRETE. EMERGENCY AID WAS SUMMONED AND HE WAS TAKEN BY HELICOPTER TO THE U. OF MD.

Keywords: FRACTURE, HEAD, BACK, ROOFER, FALL