Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314275215 - Ralph Surles Company

Inspection Information - Office: Fort Worth Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 9:28 a.m. on September 10, 2010, Employee #1, the owner of Ralph Surles Company, was erecting a steel double billboard. The two signs were on the ground in an upright position. Each sign measured 13 ft tall, 30 ft long, and 1 ft 10 in. to 2 ft 2 in. deep. One sign had a catwalk on which Employee #1 and his employee were working. The sign with the catwalk toppled onto the adjacent sign, pinning both workers. A third worker, who did not witness the accident, summoned emergency responders to extricate both workers. Employee #1 was killed. The other employee was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Worth for unspecified injuries. Windy weather conditions and the weight of the two workers may have contributed to the incident.

Keywords: HIGH WIND, INSTALLING, COLLAPSE, UNSECURED, PINNED, OVERLOADED, CRUSHED, ADVERTISING SIGN, UNSTABLE POSITION