Inspection Detail

Inspection: 308769124 - Douglas Newell Construction

Inspection Information - Office: Jackson Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2 p.m. on December 14, 2005, Employee #1, and two coworkers, lead-man and glue-hand, were constructing the sub floor deck on the second floor of a single family residence. The owner of the company and another employee were working on the stairway near the center of the home. The lead-man had given Employee #1, the saw-hand, measurements for the dimensions of the next piece of plywood they needed to place. The walls had not been framed in the area, where the three employees were working, leaving the sides open. The lead-man and glue hand continued the decking as Employee #1 set out to cut the next piece. The lead-man heard a sound like an impact and turned around to see Employee #1 lying on the deck. He had falling on the slab 10 ft below. Employee #1's chalk line was hanging from the piece of plywood he was to cut, and the line was not popped. The evidence reported by those on site would suggest that Employee #1 was walking with the chalk line, when he fell from the deck of second floor. The area where Employee #1 was working had an opening of 5.5 in. wide and 7 ft long between the top plate of 1st floor and the decking that had been placed on the second floor may have caused him to stumble and fall. Employee #1 was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. His supervisor and coworkers also went to hospital. They returned to the site later that day and finished decking the floor and framed the walls around the room, where Employee #1 fell. Employee #1 died in the hospital on December 16, 2005 from the head injuries sustained in the fall.

Keywords: DECKING, HEAD, INSTALLING, WALL, CARPENTER, CONSTRUCTION, FALL, OPEN-SIDED FLOOR