A carpenter died after falling approximately 12 feet on a cement floor at the construction site of a new building. The victim and a co-worker were using a self-propelled elevating work platform to install 12’ x 4’ sheets of drywall when the accident occurred. The platform of the scissor lift was 8 feet long with a 3-foot telescoping extension. Since the drywall sheets were 12 feet long, the end guardrail was removed to accommodate them. The victim inadvertently fell from the unguarded end of the platform.
WorkSafeNB determined the causes of the accident were:
The appropriate scissor lift for the job must be used. In this case, a larger scissor lift would have accommodated the sheets of drywall without necessitating the removal of guardrails.
Safe operation of self-propelled elevating work platforms
If guardrails are temporarily removed for work to be done, adequate precautions must be taken to prevent falls [Subsection 130(2) and 130(3) General Regulation 91-191]. Fall-arresting systems or a travel restraint system must be used.