This is a bricklayer's accident report that was printed in the newsletter

of the English equivalent of the Workers' Compensation Board.

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 240lbs of bricks.

You will note on the accident report 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, that as I lay there on the pile of

bricks, in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel swing six

stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let

go of the rope.