Accident: 170205199 - Dies After Fall From Ladder

At approximately 1:07 p.m. on November 30, 2000, Employee #1, a window cleaner for Loft Management & Maintenance, was using a 24 ft portable, metal extension ladder to wash the courtyard windows on the first floor of a building in San Francisco. The ladder was extended between 15 and 16 ft. A coworker was holding the ladder while Employee #1 washed the windows. Employee #1 then asked for some towels, and the coworker left his position and walked approximately two steps to get them. During this time when the ladder was not being held, Employee #1 lost his balance and fell 14 ft to the ground. He was transported to the trauma center at San Francisco General Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. Employee #1 died at 7:07 p.m. on December 1, 2000. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 1675(j), concerning ladder use and safety.

window washer, ladder, work rules, unsecured, extension ladder, fall, metal ladder, unstable position

Accident: 120277165 - Injured In Fall Off Ladder

At 1:30 p.m. on March 28, 2000, Employee #1, a regular employee of a company that built single-family residences, climbed a 24 ft extension ladder to take measurements for an arch. He placed the ladder against the side of the structure and then leaned over the right side of the ladder to take the measurements. While doing so, he leaned excessively to his right, lost his balance, and fell 10 ft 2 in. from the ladder. Employee #1 sustained head and rib injuries and was hospitalized for six days for observation. He should have placed the ladder in a safe working position or used scaffolding.

construction, head, rib, ladder, extension ladder, lost balance, fall, work rules, unstable position

Accident: 120277082 - Injured In Fall From Ladder

On January 19, 2000, Employee #1, a part-time handyman, was painting advertising on the approximately 9 ft high fascia boards at the front of a small store. He placed a 20 ft extension ladder against the fascia and ascended approximately 4 ft. It is not known if Employee #1 had anything in his hands. An unidentified market customer saw Employee #1 fall backward from the ladder and strike his head on the concrete surface of the walkway; the customer notified the store manager. Employee #1 sustained a head laceration that required five stitches to close, and suffered internal bleeding inside his skull. He was transported to UCSD Medical Center, where he was hospitalized for three days. Causal factors could not be determined because no witnesses were identified. Employee #1 did not remember what procedures were going on at the time of the accident. No accident-related citations were issued.

ladder, extension ladder, fall, skull, laceration, head

Accident: 170205090 - Injured In Fall While Climbing Extension Ladder

At approximately 2:15 p.m. on December 23, 1999, Employee #1, who installed windows and doors for Custom Exteriors, was working from a metal extension ladder. He brought the ladder to the front and west side of the building and had set it up backward, extending it to a height of approximately 20 ft. As Employee #1 was descending, his foot slipped from the ladder rung and he fell approximately 15 ft onto the concrete sidewalk. He sustained serious injuries to his shoulder, hand, leg, and knee.

construction, ladder, extension ladder, metal ladder, work rules, fall, slip, hand, leg, shoulder

Accident: 170360424 - Injured In Fall From Fiberglass Extension Ladder

On August 30, 1999, Employee #1, a carpenter, was standing on a fiberglass extension ladder at the Andros Kaperos Middle School. He was nailing in a roof joist hanger when the ladder apparently slipped and began to rock. Employee #1 fell approximately 12 ft to the ground, sustaining injuries that required hospitalization. The ladder was not secured.

construction, extension ladder, unsecured, work rules, slip, ladder, fall, carpenter

Accident: 170176747 - Injured In Fall While Descending Ladder

Employee #1, a contact electrician, was engaged in electrical repairs at a retail furniture showroom/warehouse in Emeryville, California. He began to climb down from a 9 ft high mezzanine in the warehouse using an unsecured 17 ft tall metal extension ladder. Employee #1 fell, fracturing his left leg and knee and dislocating his left elbow. The accident resulted from failure to secure the ladder against displacement, and was aggravated by the employer's failure to train Employee #1 in ladder safety.

construction, extension ladder, descending, work rules, electrician, fall, fracture, leg, untrained, unsecured

Accident: 170572960 - Injured In Fall From Extension Ladder

Employee #1 was on an extension ladder, guiding a metal fabricated support wind brace into place. He was reaching out to grab the wind brace when he lost his balance and fell approximately 8 ft. The ladder was set too shallow, had bent rungs, and was missing slip-resistant supports. Also, workers had not received ladder training.

construction, extension ladder, fall, inadequate maint, unsecured, ladder, lost balance, untrained, work rules