To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing in response to your request
for additional information. In Block No. 8
of the Accident Report Form, I put "Trying
to do the job alone" as the cause of the
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 date
of the accident I was workjng alone on the roof of a new six Story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than
carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to
lower them down in a barrel by using a
pulley which fortunately was attached to
the side of the building at the 6th floor.
Securing the rope at the 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 lightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of brick.
You will note in Block No. 11 of the Accident Report that I weigh 165 pounds. 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 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 collar bone.
Slowed only slightly, I continued my
rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were 2 knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had gained 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. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer again to my weight in Block No. 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 lacerations of my legs and the lower body area. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks at the bottom, and only three vertebrae were cracked.
I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the pile of bricks in great 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. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope, so it came back down on me and broke both of my legs.
I hope I have furnished enough information.
