Cleaner Falls 35 Feet to His Death through Temporary Roof Opening

On February 23, 2004, a 50-year-old male cleaner died when he fell approximately 35 feet through a temporary roof opening and was impaled on a piece of equipment on the factory floor. He had been cleaning an exhaust fan on a factory roof with a pressure washer. He and two coworkers had removed the fan from its casing creating a temporary roof opening and set the fan beside the roof opening for cleaning. Facing the fan with his back to the opening, the cleaner apparently stepped backwards and fell through the opening. He fell onto a 1200-ton die-casting machine on the factory floor. Onsite personnel working nearby heard the cleaner fall onto the machine. They summoned help for the fallen cleaner. Factory-employed emergency response trained personnel responded to the scene, assessed the situation and called for an ambulance. Local emergency medical personnel and police personnel arrived at the scene and contacted the coroner. The coroner arrived, and declared the cleaner dead at the scene. To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: Recommendation No. 1: When removing fixtures for cleaning on roof tops, temporary roof openings should be covered or barricaded. Recommendation No. 2: Personal fall protection equipment should be worn by all workers working 6 feet or more above ground level. Recommendation No. 3: Employers should train employees to recognize hazardous work conditions and how to abate or avoid them