Journeyman Mason Dies After Stepping Backward Off a Raised Mobile Scaffold

SUMMARY

On the winter of 2008, a 32-year-old male journeyman mason died as a result of falling from an unguarded working surface of a Hydro Mobile 2 scaffold raised to 35 feet. The scaffold had recently been lowered and moved to its present location. The competent persons erecting the scaffold did not re-install the guardrails at the ends of the working platform nor install the proper planking prior to raising the scaffold. The scaffold was repositioned in a north-south direction and then raised to 35 feet above the ground. The decedent was installing backing rod and his coworker was caulking. The two workers worked in a south to north direction, moving backwards on the work platform. The decedent fell from the unguarded edge (Figure 1) to the concrete surface below. Emergency response was called, and the decedent was taken to a local hospital. He died in the emergency room.

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