Inspection Detail

Inspection: 634179.015 - Danlin Corp

Inspection Information - Office: Omaha Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:45 a.m. on September 12, 2012, Employee #1 and #2 along with a coworker were removing metal decking from the roof an existing metal structure on a rural farm. The metal roof was 150 ft by 200 ft. The employees were moving the metal sheets, which had a dimension of 40 ft by 38 in. to the edge of the roof with a fall distance at approximately 24 ft. The employees had moved four sheets to the roof edge, which was approximately 3 ft from the edge. As Employees #1 and #2 positioned themselves to retrieve and placed the fifth sheet on the pile, a wind gust caught the metal sheet causing it to strike the employees and push them off the roof. The coworker was kneeling down and clamping the end of the sheet to prevent displacement when the wind gust caught the sheet. He was not struck by it and was able to maintain control of that end which prevented it from falling off the roof onto the employees below. Employee #1 fell approximately 24 ft landing upright feet first on a concrete pad below and sustained multiple fractures including on his left heel, both lower leg bones on his right leg, and the L3 lumbar vertebrae of his spine. Employee #1 was hospitalized for his injuries. Employee #2 also fell approximately 24 feet, but landing at an odd angle causing his head to strike the concrete. Employee #2 died from his injuries in the fall. This type of activity was considered decking work, which would also require the use of either a control decking zone or a personal fall arrest system; neither of which was used. The wind speeds at 10:35 a.m. on September 12, 2012, were listed at 12.7 mph sustained with gusts of up to 21.9 mph.

Keywords: Decking, Fall, Fall Protection, Falling Object, Metal Sheet, Roof