A Stagehand Falls from the Ceiling of an Amphitheater
California Case Report: 12CA005
SUMMARY
A stagehand died when he fell approximately 60 feet from the ceiling of an amphitheater to the floor below. The victim was removing the decorations from a recent event held at the incident scene. He climbed over the guard rail of the ceiling catwalk, walked on top of an air conditioning duct, then stepped onto a false ceiling tile to remove a suspended decoration. The false ceiling panel collapsed under his weight and he fell to the carpet-covered concrete floor below. The victim was not wearing any fall protection. His supervisor was working on the floor below. The CA/FACE investigator determined that, in order to prevent future falls, employers should ensure that:
- Employees working at elevated heights wear fall protection when necessary.
- Employees are properly supervised when working at elevated heights.
- A site-specific fall protection plan is designed and implemented for work to be performed at elevated heights.
A Stagehand Falls from the Ceiling of an Amphitheater [PDF 670 KB]
- Page last reviewed: November 18, 2015
- Page last updated: January 20, 2015
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Division of Safety Research