Dear Sir:
I am writing in response to your request
for additional information. In block number 3 of the accident reporting
form, I put "poor planning" 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 along the roof of a new six-story
building. When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about
500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks down
by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pully which, fortunately,
was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor.
Securing the rope at the ground
level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the brick
into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding
it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks.
You will note in block 11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh 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 thepully.
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 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 and
the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
This encounter with the barrel slowed
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, 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.....
And let go of the rope.