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Case No.61

Fall and hit by a roll of tin-plated sheet metal at plastic greenhouse installation


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[Description of the Accident]

This accident occurred during gutter installation work for new plastic greenhouses that had been built for a vineyard.

At around 8:30 AM on the day of the accident, the site supervisor and six workers (three of whom were laborers) gathered at the site, and started work to install the gutters, material of those was tin-plated sheet metal. The work process was as follows: (1) two workers would lift a roll of tin-plated sheet metal (width: 40 cm; length: 49 m; weight: 83.5 kg) with q carving pipe (length: 2.5 m; weight: 6 kg) to the height of the eaves (2 m) by standing on stepladders; (2) one worker would unwind the roll; and (3) the others would attach the tin-plated sheet metal to the eaves by metal fittings.

Five gutters had been smoothly installed (requiring some 15 to 20 minutes per gutter), and the victim and another worker lifted the pipe and roll of sheet metal to their shoulders and started to climb up the stepladders (195 cm). When the victim had reached the height of 120 cm, the stepladder started shaking, causing the victim to lose his footing and fall to the ground. The roll of sheet metal (83.5 kg) fell on the chest of the victim, causing a fatal rupture to his heart.
[Causes supposed]

1. The foot position of the stepladder was unstable due to the field soil.

2. This work required the two workers to carry the pipe and roll of sheet metal on their shoulders while climbing stepladders. However, they did not balance the load properly, and too much weight was shifted onto the victim.

3. The roll of tin-plated sheet metal, which weighed 83.5 kg, fell on the chest of the victim. This heavy weight caused a impact load.


[Type of business] Building construction
[Caused by] Stepladder, etc.
[Type of accident] Fall
[Number of victims] One fatality
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