Maintenance Worker Killed in 25-Foot Fall from I-Beam

A 25-year-old maintenance worker at a steel distribution company died as the result of a fall from a steel I-beam he had repeatedly climbed to reach the top of a disabled crane. This worker and another had been attempting to repair the crane, and had found it necessary to climb up and down several times for various reasons (see below). Each time the victim had shimmied down and back up the I-beam rather than using the fixed ladder some distance away. When the fall occurred, he was on his way back up and somehow lost his grip on the beam. Emergency medical assistance was summoned immediately and the victim was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he died the following day. In order to prevent similar incidents, FACE investigators recommend that employers should: train employees in the recognition of hazards, and methods to control such hazards, including the use of appropriate safety equipment; ensure that workers continually adhere to the safe work procedures established by the employer, and actively encourage workers to participate in workplace safety; routinely conduct both scheduled and unscheduled safety inspections; evaluate their current safety program and incorporate specific training procedures emphasizing the importance of following safety guidelines; and, ensure that adequate fall protection equipment is provided to and used by employees whenever work is performed from an elevation where the potential for a fall exists