A METAL FABRICATION AND FINISHING FOREMAN DIES AFTER 25 FOOT FALL AT A COMMERCIAL BUILDING SITE
Summary
The foreman
on the commercial construction job was hired in July 2013 to supervise the work
of the laborers for a metal fabrication and finishing company. The foreman came
highly recommended from a competitor company. The foreman had 20 plus years’
experience in the industry. The company maintained a safety program and had a
consultant perform safety training in January 2013 that included fall
protection. The foreman did not
participate in that safety training because he was hired in July 2013.
On a
fall Wednesday afternoon
at 3:00 pm, the 53-year-old
male fabrication and
finishing foreman was installing sheets
of insulation prior to decking on a commercial building.
The foreman was standing
at the edge of the decking
on roof beams, arguing
with an excavation contractor about the movement
of his loader to complete
grading work.
Witnesses say the foreman
was distracted when
he told the other workers to spread the “itchy” (meaning
rolls of fiberglass
insulation).
When the foreman took a step forward as
he usually did, he fell off
the edge and died of head and neck
injuries.
To prevent
future occurrences of similar incidents,
the following recommendations have been
made:
Recommendation No. 1: Employers should always ensure employees have access to tie off when working in high areas allowing employees
to remain tied off at all times.
Recommendation No. 2: General Contractors
should coordinate and stagger various subcontractors’ work
to prevent creation of additional
hazards, conflict and obstructions
Recommendation No. 3: Employers should be
sure safety training is given to each new hire prior to
working.
Recommendation No. 4: Employers should implement
and enforce a written safety policy which states
the consequences of not following
their personal fall arrest policy.
Recommendation No. 5: General contractors
should ensure through contract
language that all subcontractors implement and enforce
appropriate safety and health
programs and training specific to
the work to be performed.