Inspection Detail

Inspection: 3351707 - Charles E. Smith Construction Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Manassas (Regional Office)- Safety 0355114

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on November 26, 1985, Employee #1 was installing drywall studs on the west side of a mechanical airshaft that was located on the south end of the eleventh floor of an office building under construction. The guardrails along the west side of the airshaft had been removed to facilitate drywall installation. Employee #1 climbed on a 6-ft wooden stepladder beside the open airshaft to put a screw in a stud that was too high for him to reach from the floor. He apparently lost his balance and fell approximately 96 ft with the ladder down the airshaft to the second floor. Employee #1 sustained multiple severe injuries and was killed. The employee had not been using personal fall arrest equipment.

Keywords: STEPLADDER, WORK RULES, SAFETY BELT, AIR SHAFT, LOST BALANCE, TIE-OFF, GUARDRAIL, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, FALL PROTECTION