Powered by GoogleTranslate

UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA

Contact Us FAQ A to Z Index English Español

Return to Accident Search Results

Accident Report Detail

Accident: 201183340 - Firefighter Sustains Fractured Leg And Ankle As Ladder Falls

Accident: 201183340 -- Report ID: 0950611 -- Event Date: 01/25/2007
InspectionOpen DateSICEstablishment Name
30739731504/03/20079224San Francisco Fire Department
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on January 25, 2007, Employee #1 was working as a firefighter for the San Francisco Fire Department. She had been dispatched to a site in San Francisco where there had been a fire. The fire had already been put out, and a crew was cleaning up debris on the roof. Employee #1 and some coworkers were covering a roof opening of the two-story residential building. Their officer was also on the roof of the building. Employee #1 left the roof first, to hold the bottom of the extension ladder so that her coworkers could descend it. As Employee #1 stepped onto the portable extension ladder with both feet, it slowly started to kick out. Employee #1 let go of the ladder and free fell approximately 20 feet to the ground. She sustained fractures to her lower right leg and ankle. Employee #1 was taken to the San Francisco General Hospital, where she stayed for two-and-a-half weeks while surgeries were performed. Requirements called for a wooden ladder be lashed, held in position, or placed to prevent slipping. When Employee #1 descended the ladder, there was no one holding it at the base. The ladder was not lashed. The ladder was set up on a concrete driveway with a compound slope. The driveway had stains that appeared to be caused by fluid that had leaked from an automobile. The bottom of each side rail of the wooden ladder had a U-shaped footing made of metal. The incident occurred during early morning before sunrise, and moisture in the air might have condensed on the driveway, adding to any wetness it might have. There was another ladder in place, but that ladder was neither lashed nor held. No other violations were observed.
Keywords: firefighter, fracture, roof, ladder, fall, slippery surface, ankle, leg
Employee # Inspection Age Sex Degree Nature Occupation
1 307397315 Hospitalized injury Fracture Firefighting occupations

Thank You for Visiting Our Website

You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server.

The Department of Labor does not endorse, takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over the linked organization or its views, or contents, nor does it vouch for the accuracy or accessibility of the information contained on the destination server. The Department of Labor also cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked Web site. Thank you for visiting our site. Please click the button below to continue.

Close