ACCIDENT SUMMARY No. 62 Accident Type: Fall Weather Conditions: Clear/Windy Type of Operation: Structural Steel Size of Work Crew: 23 Competent Safety Monitor on Site: Yes Safety and Health Program in Effect: Yes Was the Worksite Inspected Regularly: Yes Training and Education Provided: Yes Employee Job Title: Iron Worker Age & Sex: 37-Male Experience at this Type of Work: 10 Years Time on Project: 4 Days BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT Two connectors were erecting lightweight steel "I" beams on the third floor of a 12-story building, 54 feet above the ground. One employee removed a choker sling from a beam and then attempted to place the sling onto a lower empty hook on a series of stringers. While the crawler tower crane was booming away from the steel, the wind moved the load line and stringer into the beam the employee was standing on. The beam moved while the employee was trying to disengage the hook, and fell to his death. INSPECTION RESULTS Following the inspection, OSHA cited the company for three serious violations of OSHA standards. Had the company followed applicable OSHA construction requirements, this fatality might have been prevented. ACCIDENT PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS On tiered buildings or structures that cannot accommodate temporary flooring and where scaffolds are not used, install and maintain safety nets if employees are working more than two stories or 25 feet above the ground [29 CFR 926.750(b)(1)(ii)]. Use tag lines to control crane loads hoisted during structural steel assembly [29 CFR 1926.751(d)]. During the faint placing of solid web structural members, secure all members with at least two bolts or the equivalent at each connection. The bolts must be drawn up wrench tight before the load is released from the hoisting line [29 CFR 1926.751(a)]. SOURCES OF HELP For information on OSHA-funded free consultation services call the nearest OSHA area office listed in telephone directories under U.S. Labor Department or under the state government section in states administering their own OSHA programs. OSHA Safety and Health Training Guidelines for Construction (Available from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161; phone 703/487-4650; Order No. PB-239-312/AS, $19.00) to help construction employees establish a training program. Courses in construction safety are offered by the OSHA Training Institute, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018 (phone 708/297-4610). NOTE:  The case here described was selected as being representative of fatalities caused by improper work practices. No special emphasis or priority is implied nor is the case necessarily a recent occurrence. The legal aspects of the incident have been resolved, and the case is now closed.