Plumber dies after falling 13 feet into a stairwell while repairing a pipe.
Authors
New Jersey Department of Health
Source
Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 92NJ054, 1993 May; :1-3
Abstract
On October 1, 1992, a 41 year-old male plumber was fatally injured after a 13 foot fall into a stairwell. The incident occurred at a large resort hotel while the victim was repairing a leaking water pipe located above the ceiling in a stairwell. After climbing a scaffold to reach the ceiling, the victim was sitting on a large adjacent pipe when he apparently slipped off the pipe, fell through the ceiling, and landed on the stairs. He died of his injuries the next day. NJDOH FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future, employers should adhere to the following safety guidelines: 1. Ensure that scaffolds are properly erected and positioned before allowing employees to work from them. 2. Ensure that fall protection is provided and used by workers who may be exposed to fall hazards. 3. Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive safety program that is administered by a competent safety officer.
Keywords
Accident-analysis; Accident-potential; Accident-prevention; Accidents; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Safety-education; Safety-equipment; Safety-practices; Safety-measures; Traumatic-injuries; Work-practices; Region-2; Safety-personnel; Safety-programs; Scaffolds; Plumbers; Plumbing
Document Type
Field Studies; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
Funding Type
Cooperative Agreement
NTIS Accession No.
PB2013-104913
Identifying No.
FACE-92NJ054; Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-CCU-207088
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Performing Organization
New Jersey Department of Health