Inspection Detail

Inspection: 315148437 - Kanaflex Corporation Of Illinois

Inspection Information - Office: Chicago North Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 12:20 p.m. on December 22, 2010, Employee #1 was working at a facility of a firm that manufactured rubber and plastic hoses and belts. Employee #1 had been employed at the facility since August 10, 2010, and he had been with the corporation since July 1, 1984. Employee #1 was on the roof to investigate the origin of a water leak from a chiller. The employer had three other employees who went up onto the roof on a regular basis to check equipment and conduct other inspection checks. Employee #1 was a plant manager and would not normally have gone up to the roof to view the leaking chiller. The supervisor of maintenance, however, wanted to show Employee #1 where the leak was coming from and how they were going to fix it. The supervisor of maintenance stated that he did not see if Employee #1 slipped. He did see Employee #1 lose his balance while near the skylight and fall through. The supervisor of maintenance was the only one accompanying Employee #1 while he was on the roof. Employee #1 fell through a skylight made of an acrylic plastic dome. It was not equipped with a skylight guard or standard railing on all four sides. He fell 23 feet. Employee #1 was rushed to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead at approximately 3:00 p.m. According to the medical examiner's report, Employee #1 sustained multiple skull fractures, diffused global cerebral edema, a subarachnoid hemorrhage, extra-axial hemorrhage, pneumorrhachis, multiple facial fractures, multiple skull base fractures, multiple fractured ribs, left pneumothorax, fractured scapula, fractured pelvis, pulmonary contusions, and multiple thoracic and lumbar spine fractures. Multiple traumatic injuries resulting from the fall were listed as the cause of death.

Keywords: ROOF OPENING COVER, SKYLIGHT, FRACTURE, MAINTENANCE, ROOF, TORSO, FALL, ROOF OPENING, LOST BALANCE, UNGUARDED