Bricklayer’s Injury
Report
This
is a bricklayer's accident report that was printed in the newsletter of the
Dear
Sir,
I
am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block
#3 of the accident reporting form I put “Poor Planning” as the cause of my
accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust
the following details will be sufficient.
I
am a bricklayer by trade. On the day
of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found I had some
bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs. Rather
than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by
using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth
floor.
Securing
the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding
it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 240 lbs of bricks. You will note
on the accident reporting form that my weight is 135 lbs.
Due
to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence
of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless
to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the
barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as listed in Section 3,
accident reporting form.
Slowed
only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers
of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley which I mentioned
in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence. Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence
of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating
pain I was now beginning to experience.
At
approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground
and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now
devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs.
I refer you again to my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent
down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the
barrel coming up. This accounts for
the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe
lacerations of my legs and lower body.
Here
my luck began to change slightly. The
encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when
I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.
I
am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain,
unable to move and
watching
the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence
of mind and let go of the rope and I lay there watching the empty barrel begin
its journey back onto me.
