I am writing in response to your request for
additional information. In Block Number 3 of the accident reporting form,
I put "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in
your letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that 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 discovered that I had about 600
pounds of bricks left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I
decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which fortunately, 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 back to the ground and untied the rope, holding
it tightly to insure a slow decent of the 600 pounds of bricks. You will
note in Block Number 11 of the accident reporting form that I weighed 185
pounds. Due to my surprise of 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 rather rapid rate up the side of the building. In the
vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down, this explains the
fractured skull and broken collarbone.
Slowed only
slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my
right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time
I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope
in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of
bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the
weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed approximately 50 pounds. I
refer you again to my weight in Block Number 11. As you might imagine, I
began a rapid decent 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 and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I
fell onto the pile of bricks and, fortunately, only three vertebrae were
cracked.
I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay
there on the bricks... in pain... unable to stand, and watching the empty
barrel six stories above me... I again lost my presence of mind... I LET
GO OF THE ROPE!
