Carpenter Falls From Scaffold

A 66-year-old carpenter died after falling from the plank of an improvised scaffold.

The victim had arrived that day from Costa Rica. He immediately went to the site where his son, the construction company owner, was renovating a home. The crew had demolished and rebuilt a section and were installing siding. They had built an improvised scaffold with discarded lumber.

The son was away; his father went to work. The victim was standing on a narrow wood plank set more than 10 feet (three meters) above a concrete driveway. One end of the plank rested on a porch roof and the other on the scaffold. The son arrived and greeted his father, who had bent down to cut siding. When he turned to reply, the victim lost his balance and fell to the concrete, striking his head and losing consciousness. He underwent surgery for severe head injuries and died the next day.

Always use properly designed and assembled scaffolds and/or ladders when working at heights of more than six feet (1.8 meters). Fall protection is required in most cases when working at such heights.