Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program
Hispanic Laborer Killed when Struck by Falling Plywood on a Commercial Construction Site
Summary
On
a clear windy Wednesday, around 11:50 a.m., a 24 year-old Hispanic laborer was
helping his brother-in-law load trusses on the ground, when a gust of wind
ripped an 8 foot by 4 foot sheet of plywood from another Hispanic laborer’s
hands as he was handing the plywood to a co-worker 60 feet above on a
commercial construction site roof.
The
co-worker on the roof tried to grab the sliding plywood by jumping onto it, but
could not stop it. The co-worker’s life
line prevented him from falling over the edge of the roof.
As
the plywood reached the edge of the roof the wind whipped it 30 feet from the
building, striking the Hispanic laborer on the back of the head just below his
hard hat. A crane operator witnessing
the events unfolding immediately began blowing his horn trying to warn the
laborers on the ground, but it was too late.
To
prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations
have been made:
Recommendation
No. 1:
When conducting overhead work, employers should take precautions to protect
workers on the ground from falling objects, tools and debris.
Recommendation
No. 2:
When possible, employers should move workers out of the hazard area when
conducting overhead work.
Recommendation
No. 3:
When employers hire foreign workers, they should have training materials
printed in the native language and provide extensive safety training to ensure
understanding.
Recommendation
No. 4:
When the presence of high winds occurs, employers should consider postponing
high overhead work to eliminate many incidents that could occur.