Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306752544 - International General Development

Inspection Information - Office: Jacksonville Area Office

Investigation Summary

On July 23, 2004, a construction crew was installing tinted panes of glass in a medical building under construction. The panes of glass were 41.75-in. wide, 82.5-in. tall, 0.25-in. thick, and each pane weighed approximately 65 pounds. The glass was stored on a trailer that was towed by a pick-up truck from the shop to the construction site. The trailer was specifically manufactured to store panes of glass. The racks where the glass was stored had an angle of 3.6 degrees. The trailer also had devices, called standards that were designed to secure the glass in place. The crew, however, did not use these standards. They used only rope to secure the glass. When the crew arrived at the site, the pick-up truck was parked on an uneven dirt surface. The slope of the surface was at least 2 degrees. When one of the employees began to untie the ropes that held the glass in place (approximately 10 to 12 panes), the glass panes began to tilt toward the employee. The employee attempted to stop the glass from falling from the trailer to the ground by placing his body in front of the glass. The glass was too heavy for the employee to hold, and the glass panes fell on him, throwing the employee to the ground. The glass crushed him and the employee was killed. His injuries included fractures, abrasions and lacerations to his head, neck, trunk and extremities.

Keywords: HEAD, LACERATION, ABRASION, FRACTURE, INSTALLING, CONSTRUCTION, CRUSHED, NECK, FALLING OBJECT, UNSTABLE LOAD