Welder dies after falling 22 feet from a roof at mall construction site in Maryland, November 4, 1989.
Source
NIOSH 1990 Jun; :1-6
Abstract
The case of a 48 year old male welder who died after falling 22 feet from the roof of a mall under construction was examined. He had worked for a small construction welding firm for only 5 days before the accident, but had 20 years experience as a welder. The company had contracted to weld structural steel components at a new mall complex. He was electric arc welding bridging between the roof bar joists which were 22 feet above the ground. He was wearing a safety belt and lanyard, but was not tied off at the time of the accident. His welding cables became snagged. He stood on a bundle of roof decking and tried to free the cables by whipping them up and down and pulling on them. The welding cable connectors separated and the victim lost his balance, falling headfirst to the ground. He died less than 1 hour after the fall from neck injuries. It was recommended that employers provide the necessary safety equipment and means to properly use the equipment; that employers develop and implement safe methods of handling welding cables; that employers develop and implement a comprehensive safety training program with task specific safety procedures; and that employers consider the use of other approaches for reducing worker exposure to falls from elevations.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; Region-3; FACE-90-19; Accident-analysis; Safety-practices; Construction-workers; Welding-industry; Construction-industry; Traumatic-injuries; Occupational-accidents; Construction-Search
Document Type
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation; Field Studies
NTIS Accession No.
PB92-184084
Identifying No.
FACE-90-19
Source Name
Division of Safety Research, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia, Report Number FACE-90-19, 6 pages, 2 references
