Roofer dies after fall from ladder - North Carolina, June 11, 1993.
NIOSH 1993 Sep; :1-4
This case report concerned a 56 year old male roofer who fell from a ladder about 15 feet above the ground. The roofer was employed by a company which had been contracted to replace a 27 foot high roof on an office complex. A 40 foot fiberglass extension ladder was being used to access the roof. The victim was an experienced roofer with a 25 year work history. A fellow worker had watched the victim climb the ladder to a height of about 15 feet, and then turned away. The fellow worker heard something hit the ground behind him; on turning, he observed the victim lying on his back on the gravel driveway. The cause of death was listed as pericardial tamponade and right ventricle rupture. The ladder was clean, and no foreign substance was found on the ladder. It was recommended that all employees understand the importance of exercising caution while climbing ladders and that a comprehensive written safety program be developed.
NIOSH-Author; Region-4; FACE-93-22; Roofers; Roofing-industry; Accident-analysis; Traumatic-injuries; Cardiovascular-system; Construction-Search
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation; Field Studies
NTIS Accession No.
Division of Safety Research, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia, Report Number FACE-93-22, 4 pages