Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: STRUCK BY

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to the hazard of falling from, and being struck by, the metal plate connected wood roof trusses that were subject to potential movement due to the lack of proper temporary bracing and inadequate attachment: a. At the construction site of a single family residential house, located at 916 San Carlos Way, Kissimmee, Florida where a single truss collapse caused one employee to fall about 20 feet to the ground sustaining fatal injuries. The metal plate connected wood roof trusses were installed without bracing as required by BCSI 1-03 Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses. The trusses were installed using wooden spacers and had inadequate lateral and diagonal bracing. The ends of the trusses were not secured to the framing. Metal brackets were used to support the truss ends, however, the trusses were not secured by having the ends nailed to the metal bracket. It was found that the truss which collapsed was not secured by nailing the ends to the metal support brackets and had one spacer attach to the top chord. One feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct these hazards is to install roof trusses in accordance the recommendations of the Wood Truss Council of America and the Truss Plate Institute's recommendations which are contained in BCSI 1-03, Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing and Bracing Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses. The truss manufacturer provides a copy of the BCSI 1-03 with the delivery of the trusses. Assure that during truss installation the ends are secured using adequate number of nails and that the trusses are braced as required with lateral, diagonal and horizontal bracing.