Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18870196 - Larry Lovett

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

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 and Employee #2 were installing wood trusses to a wood framed building having dimensions of 216 ft by 50 ft. Each truss was 55 ft long and formed of 2-in. by 6-in. and 2-in. by 4-in. material. The trusses were installed on 24 in. centers. Over half of the trusses had been set in place with the initial truss on the south side of the building sheathed. The sheathed truss was braced by 2-in. by 4-in. lumber at four places and down to the ground level by stakes driven 8 to 10 inches deep. The soil into which these stakes were driven had been disturbed, causing the 8 to 10 inch staked depth to be inadequate. The inadequate bracing, coupled with the force of the wind acting against the sheeted truss, caused the initial truss to collapse while Employee #1 and Employee #2 were installing lateral bracing on the roof trusses. A domino effect with the remaining trusses occurred causing all trusses to fall, as well as portions of the building's side wall. Employee #1 was pinned by the trusses and suffered a cracked pelvis, injuries to his back, and a puncture wound caused by his carpenter square. Employee #2 fell and suffered a broken ankle. Both employees were hospitalized for their injuries

Keywords: BRACING, TRUSS, COLLAPSE, BUILDING COLLAPSE, CARPENTER, PINNED, BACK, PELVIS, FALL, FALLING OBJECT