Laborer Dies after Falling Through 40-Foot High Roof of Recycling Facility

New Jersey Case Report: 13NJ015
Release Date: August 26, 2014

The following report is the product of our Cooperative State partner and is presented here in its original unedited form from the state. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the individual Cooperative State partner and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

SUMMARY

A 50-year-old male laborer fell through the roof of a large recycling facility. The incident occurred on a flat roof approximately 40 feet above the floor of the recycling plant. The victim fell 30 feet and hit an air compressor on a raised platform (approximately 10 feet off the ground). On the day of the incident, the victim and two other workers were assigned to clear a layer of stones that was in place to protect the roof from ultraviolet light damage. The workers were using brooms and shovels to load the stones into wheelbarrows, which were taken to the edge of the roof and dumped to a dumpster below. The victim stepped on an area of the roof that failed and fell to his death.

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