Fall through surface or existing opening 11 to 15 feet · Bruises, contusions
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Chopa Contracting Services LLC, 100 Talcott Ave., WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS 02472
on — Bruises, contusions, affecting the back, including spine, spinal cord, unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee had been installing roof materials when they fell 14 feet through a hole in the roof and landed on a lower level. The employee sustained back contusions.
HospitalizedBack, including spine, spinal cord, unspecifiedExisting roof openings, other than skylights
An employee was checking an HVAC unit in the attic when they fell approximately 15 feet through the rafters to the floor. The employee sustained fractures to the ribs and scapula as well as a collapsed lung.
An employee was removing grating to change metal chip hoppers located in a pit. The employee lost his balance and fell approximately 12 feet from the grate, landing in the metal chip hopper. The employee sustained a sprained right foot, a left foot fracture, and a fractured L5 vertebra.
An employee was reviewing the next steps to take with the foreman when some material fell from above and landed near them. The injured employee then looked up, took a step on the catwalk, and fell through a gap, landing on the ground 15 feet below. The employee sustained three fractured vertebrae and a head laceration.
0n November 16, 2023, an employee was climbing onto a catwalk to cut valves for unit heaters in a building. The employee fell 14 feet through the attic onto the concrete floor, resulting in a fractured pelvis.
An employee was removing a rooftop curb when they fell approximately 15 feet through an opening in the roof, resulting in a fractured leg that required hospitalization.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 238160)
An employee was delivering materials. He was doing his pre-delivery inspection on the roof of the jobsite (a warehouse) when he fell through a plexiglass skylight. He landed on his feet on the concrete floor 14 feet below. The employee sustained fractures to his spine, left ulnar/radius, and right heel. The employee required surgery.
An employee was standing on a multi-purpose ladder installing head flashing over a window. Their feet were approximately 6 feet off the ground and three rungs from the top. The employee lost their grip on the drill they were using and the ladder tipped over. The employee fell from the ladder to the ground, resulting in a fractured left wrist, bruised chest, and lacerations to their face and lip.
An employee fell through a hole in the ceiling and suffered injuries to his side and right arm. When he fell, a piece of concrete fell with him and struck his arm. He was hospitalized.
An employee was laying glue on the corner of a three-story commercial flat roof to apply new thermoplastic polyolefin roofing material. He lost his balance and fell at least 35 feet to the concrete ground below. The employee sustained fractures.
An employee fell while exiting a trailer. The employee landed on their left side on the pavement, suffering multiple broken ribs on the left side. The employee was hospitalized.
Two employees were setting up a mandrel in the spindle of a machine. The mandrel was side-shifted while an employee's hand was on the mast of a powered industrial truck. The employee suffered crushing injuries that resulted in amputations to the middle and ring fingertips.
An employee had been loading a double deck press. The employee saw a mold had been sent in with the C-hook still attached on the belly bar. As he went to remove the hook from the mold, his right thumb got caught on the C-hook. The employee's thumb was partially amputated.
An employee was operating a roller and paving a small pathway next to a pavilion. The ground was on a slight pitch, causing him to reach up toward the roll cage to stabilize himself. His right fifth finger was pinched between the roll cage and the rafter of the pavilion. The employee sustained a partial degloving injury with partial traumatic amputation.
An employee was delivering home heating fuel when bees came from the ground and stung the employee's face, neck, torso, and hands. The employee proceeded to shut off the oil flow before losing consciousness. They were hospitalized due to an anaphylactic reaction.