Hispanic Carpenter Dies after Falling from Homemade Platform

In the Spring of 2007, a 32-year-old Hispanic male carpenter (decedent) died when he fell from a homemade platform (extended approximately seven feet in the air) after it detached from a telehandler (forklift). The decedent and two other carpenters were framing a new construction, single-family residence located on a hillside which was rough and steep. The three carpenters were framing the wall at the rear corner of the house which was high because of the sloping terrain. To reach the area, the crew decided to use a homemade platform as a makeshift scaffold. A fourth worker operated a rough-terrain forklift and elevated the platform with the three carpenters holding the wall to be framed up in the air. The forklift operator lifted the unsecured platform and at approximately seven feet in the air, the platform fell off the forks. Two of the carpenters fell off the platform, which fell on the edge of the foundation above the men’s heads. The decedent fell off the left end of the platform which struck him in the head. Emergency medical services were summoned to the scene. Upon their arrival they found the other two carpenters who had fallen together alive and requiring medical attention. They were transported to a nearby hospital and later released. Emergency medical service personnel found the third carpenter to be without vital signs and contacted the local coroner who arrived and declared the carpenter dead at the scene. To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: Recommendation No. 1: Companies should not attempt to build any ”homemade” type personnel platform for a forklift, all personnel platforms must comply with ANSI / ASME standards and the OSHA regulations. Recommendation No. 2: Those who use a personnel platform on a rough terrain forklift must use approved fall-protective equipment. Recommendation No. 3: Scaffolding should be used in difficult-to-reach framing locations. Recommendation No. 4: Personnel should not be transported by material hoists. Recommendation No. 5: Forklift operators should be trained by a competent person to operate forklifts correctly and safely. Recommendation No. 6: Employers with multicultural workers should design safety training in languages suited for the company workforce. Recommendation No. 7: General contractors should ensure through contract language that all subcontractors implement appropriate safety and health programs and training specific to the work to be performed. Recommendation No. 8: Small business owners should institute and enforce drug testing policies