E & J REBAR INC

Employee killed in fall when stairway railing fails

At approximately 2:22 p.m. on November 7, 2007, Employee #1, a welder for E & J Rebar, Inc., and two coworkers were on the upper landing of the stairway over th e north side of the St. Louis Park Pedestrian Bridge. Employee #1 was wearing a full body harness and had tied his lanyard to a double-eyed choker that was atta ched to the stairway railing. He was moving from the southwest side to the north west side when he leaned against the railing and it disconnected from the struct ural members. He fell 15 ft 2 in. to the ground, with the railing section landin g on top of him. Employee #1 died of blunt force craniocerebral injuries sustain ed in the fall. The stairway railing to which he was tied off was not permanentl y secured and/or bolted into place. The St. Louis Park Police Department report and photographs depicted Employee #1's position after the fall. His left leg was underneath the railing, his right leg was over the railing, and his right foot was tangled between the metal slats of the railing, with fresh welding fume on t he shim of the stair stringer. The rail between his legs and the freshly-welded shim on the stringer indicated that Employee #1 was straddling the railing to we ld when he fell. There were no ladders or JLG-type of aerial lifts observed in t he area. The toxicology report was negative.