Aerial Lift Fatality
On a winter day in 2008, a male roofer died after falling 10 feet from a telescopic boom lift. He and four other roofing crew members were installing a new roof at a residence undergoing restoration.
Using a telescopic aerial lift, the roofer, who was not wearing a personal fall arrest system and not tied off, started to ascent in the telescopic lift with the red rosin paper, It is unclear if the access gate to the bucket of the telescopic boom lift was open or closed. When he reached a height of approximately 10 feet, he fell out of the telescopic boom lift platform to the ground.
One of the roofers in the truck heard a noise, looked over toward the house and saw the man on the ground. His head was lying on a lower brace of the scaffolding and his back was on a tree stump.
Emergency medical services were immediately contacted. Upon their arrival, an ambulance transported the roofer to the nearest hospital. From there he was transferred to the nearest trauma hospital where he died from his injuries at 3:41 PM.
This roofer was only 10 ft off the ground! Although there were no direct witnesses to what happened, two lessons can be learned from this tragic incident.
- When in the basket of an aerial lift, always utilize a body harness and lanyard to tie off to the basket.
- After entering the basket of an aerial lift, always ensure the entrance gate is shut and latched secure.