Maintenance Supervisor Killed by Fall While Changing Light Bulb

SUMMARY

In the winter of 2009, a 66-year-old male maintenance supervisor for a church fell down a stairway while changing a burnt-out light bulb (Figure 1). The burned out light to be changed out was at the top of unlit, L-shaped stairway (Figure 3). He placed an 8-foot step ladder (in a closed position) on the second floor landing against a 9-foot long by 42-inch high by 7- inch wide cinder block knee wall. He had an unwitnessed fall. Possible scenarios include an unintentional fall from the second floor landing or a fall from the top of the knee wall as he was attempting to unscrew the fixture's set screws. He was found by an individual walking past the first set of stairs lying on the 5- by 5-foot landing. The individual who discovered the decedent indicated the decedent was unconscious, lying on his back and appeared to be breathing. This individual ran to a nearby office to call for emergency response. Emergency response arrived and the decedent was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Maintenance Supervisor Killed by Fall While Changing Light Bulb [PDF 73 KB]