Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314062563 - John T. Jones Construction Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Omaha Area Office

Investigation Summary

On September 6, 2011, a crew of two employees was working from a 15 feet high scaffold inside an empty sewage digester fell. Employee #1 struck the concrete floor and Employee #2 was stopped a few feet from the ground by his fall arrest system. Employees' # 1and #2 was wearing harnesses, shock absorbing lanyards, and retractable lifelines. Employee #2 was walking on the scaffold and his retractable locked up, which caused him to stumble. Employee # 2 arms caught the retractable line of Employee #1 and both men fell from the scaffold. Employee #1 broke his cervical vertebrae and suffered partial paralysis. Employee #2 sustained bruising and shock. The Contributing factors were the anchorage points of the retractable lines, were not directly overhead and the rigging set-up did not allow the proper safety factor distance. The anchorage points were at least 7 feet away from their work location and likely caused a swing fall which could greatly increase the stopping distance of the retractable lines. No other details were provided in the original abstract.

Keywords: SHOCK, LIFELINE, SAFETY BELT, FALL, VERTEBRA, SCAFFOLD