Inspection Detail

Inspection: 317551240 - Beck Roofing Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Norfolk (Regional Office) - Safety 0355112

Investigation Summary

On January 21, 2014, Employee #1 and Coworker #1, employed by a roofing contractor, were working at a commercial building. They were installing roofing flashing to the inside of a second-story parapet wall. Employee #1 suddenly collapsed. According to the subsequent investigation, Coworker #1, who did not speak English, descended a ladder and attempted to find help in the vicinity. He approached the owner of an adjacent pizza shop and spoke the word "help" multiple times while pointing to the rear of the building. The pizza shop owner and two service mechanics who had arrived onsite went to the rear of the building, where Coworker #1 pointed to the ladder accessing the roof and again repeated, "Help, help." The two mechanics ascended the ladder and found Employee #1 unconscious on the rooftop. The mechanics called for emergency services. The City of Newport News Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department responded at 10:10 a.m. on January 21, 2014. Emergency responders accessed the roof by ladder and found Employee #1 unconscious and unresponsive. After preliminary medical assessments and treatment, they used fire apparatus to remove Employee #1 from the roof. Employee #1 was transported to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Chief Medical Examiner was scheduled to perform an autopsy. At the time of this report, results were pending. This event was investigated by Virginia OSHA, which reported this fatality as a possible cardiac/respiratory failure.

Keywords: HEART, RESPIRATORY, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, INSTALLING, ROOF, HEART ATTACK, CONSTRUCTION, CARDIAC ARREST, ROOFER