Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316071497 - W. A. Klinger, L.L.C.

Inspection Information - Office: Iowa 0751910

Investigation Summary

On October 15, 2011, Employee #1, and Coworkers #1 and #2 were working on a construction site located on the campus of a local college. The employees were tasked with performing demolition work on an existing brick masonry wall. Coworker #1 was working inside of an aerial lift basket, a Genie S-60, within approximately 1 foot of the north face of the existing wall. Coworker #2 was inside the "janitor room" area where the wall was being removed, and did not actually witness the collapse of the wall. Employee #1 had walked around the left side area where the left window had been previously removed and he observed brick debris on the ground. The wall then collapsed, pinning Employee #1 against the aerial lift basket. Employee #1's head hit the metal railing on the areal lift basket, and he was presumed to have been killed instantly. The wall section was approximately 8 feet 6 inches wide, 4 feet 2 inches tall and 13 inches thick, and weighed over 2,000 pounds. It was determined that the employer had not established a proper control access zone, nor did the employer install additional supports to prevent the wall collapse. Training had been provided to Employee #1 as well as the rest of the company, on topics such as but not limited to: fall protection, first aid, hazard communication, ladder safety and aerial lift safety.

Keywords: HEAD, DEMOLITION, COLLAPSE, AERIAL LIFT