THOMASWOOD CORPORATION

EMPLOYEE INJURED IN FALL FROM MASONRY SCAFFOLD

AT APPROXIMATELY 11 AM ON DECEMBER 19, 1987, TWO CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WERE INSTA LLING A ROW OF FELT PAPER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF A NEW CEMENT BLOCK WAREHOUSE. THE BUILDING WAS ABOUT 40 FEET WIDE BY 100 FEET LONG. THEY WERE USING A TUBULAR WEL DED FRAME MASONRY SCAFFOLD TO FACILITATE THE WORK; IT WAS CONSIDERED EASIER TO R EACH THE EAVES THIS WAY. THE SCAFFOLD WAS 2 STAGES HIGH, WITH THE DECK LEVEL ABO UT 12 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS WALKING ALONG THE SINGLE ALUMINUM PLANK LAYING THE FELT WHILE HIS FOREMAN FOLLOWED ABOUT 8 FEET BEHIND HIM TACKIN G DOWN THE FELT. AT ABOUT 11 AM, EMPLOYEE #1 APPEARED TO SLIP OFF THE PLANK AND FALL HEAD FIRST INTO THE TOP MEMBER OF THE FIRST STAGE SCAFFOLD DIRECTLY BELOW H IM. HE THEN LANDED ON THE FROZEN GROUND, FACE DOWNWARD, POINTING AT AN ANGLE AWA Y FROM THE BUILDING. HE SUSTAINED SEVERE HEAD INJURIES AND A BROKEN NECK AND WAS PARALYSED FROM THE WAIST DOWN. HE WAS IN A COMA UNTIL JANUARY 8TH, WHEN HE REGA INED CONSIOUSNESS. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE BRIGHT, CLEAR , AND SUNNY. THERE WAS NO SCAFFOLD GUARDING USED AT ANY TIME DURING THIS WORK AC TIVITY WHICH HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS AT THIS LEVEL. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CONSIDERED AN EXPERIENCED CARPENTER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.