DATE: 

May 24, 2022

TIME:

3:03 p.m.

VICTIM:

44-year-old Hispanic

demolition laborer

INDUSTRY/NAICS CODE:

Site Preparation 

Contractor/238910

EMPLOYER: 

Site Preparation Contractor

SAFETY & TRAINING:

Some elements existed

SCENE: 

Building demolition

LOCATION:

Kentucky

EVENT TYPE:

Fall

INCIDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Kentucky FACE Program

REPORT#: 22KY046 REPORT DATE: 06/07/2023

Demolition Laborer Dies in Fall 

Through Skylight

SUMMARY

On May 24, 2022, a 44-year-old Hispanic demolition laborer suffered a fatal 

fall while working on the roof of a building that was undergoing 

demolition. The employee was walking backwards when he stepped onto a 

skylight in the roof and fell through it, falling approximately 19 feet to a 

concrete floor below.

... READ THE FULL REPORT> (p.3)

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include:

• Working at height

• Exposure to falls through skylights

• Multi-employer worksites

• Lack of understanding of workplace hazards and control methods

• Lack of safety training and communication

... LEARN MORE> (p.6)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Kentucky investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar 

occurrences, employers should:

• Properly assess the assigned work for recognized hazards (e.g., job 

safety analysis, job hazard analysis, pre-task plan, etc.)

• Provide appropriate fall arrest systems for employees working at 

height, including working around skylights, with a fall distance of 6 feet 

or more (e.g., guardrail system, covers, personal fall arrest system).

• Consider prevention through design to “design out” or minimize 

hazards and risk.

• Train employees on how to recognize fall hazards associated with the 

work being performed and the procedures to be followed in order to 

minimize these hazards

• Provide training in a language that workers can understand.

• Ensure that employers understand their responsibilities for the safety 

and health of their employees working on multi-employer worksites.

... LEARN MORE> (p.6)
Page 2

Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program

This case report was developed to draw the attention of employers and employees to a serious safety hazard and is based on 

preliminary data only. This publication does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident, cause of the injury, 

or fault of the employer, employee, or any party involved. 

This case report was developed by the Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program. Kentucky FACE is a NIOSHfunded occupational fatality surveillance program with the goal of preventing fatal work injuries by studying the worker, the work 

environment, and the role of management, engineering, and behavioral changes in preventing future injuries. The FACE program is

located in the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC). KIPRC is a bona fide agent for the Kentucky Department for

Public Health. 

Email | Twitter | Facebook| Website
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 3

INTRODUCTION

At 3:03 p.m. on May 24, 2022, a 44-year-old demolition laborer was killed when he fell through a roof skylight of a 

building that was undergoing demolition. The employee was working on the roof, removing roofing components, when 

he walked backward and stepped onto a skylight. The skylight broke under his weight, and the employee was killed after 

falling approximately 19 feet to a concrete floor below. 

EMPLOYER

The employer was a site preparation contractor (referred to hereafter as demolition employer) that had been in business 

for approximately 25 years. The demolition employer had 16 employees, four of which (including the deceased) were 

working at the scene at the time of the incident. The demolition employer had been contracted to demolish the structure 

involved in the incident.

According to the Kentucky Department of Workplace Standards, Division of Compliance (KyOSHA), the demolition

employer stated that the deceased worker was an employee of a subcontractor and therefore the safety and health 

responsibilities for the worker fell to the subcontractor. However, KyOSHA determined that the deceased was an 

employee of the demolition employer.

WRITTEN SAFETY PROGRAMS and TRAINING

The demolition employer had a few elements of a safety and health program. According to information provided by 

KyOSHA, the employer had 1) maintained injury and illness recordkeeping (i.e., OSHA 300 logs) and 2) provided fall 

protection training to some of its employees. However, none of the four employees, including the deceased employee,

had been provided fall protection training by the demolition employer.

WORKER INFORMATION

The construction laborer was a 44-year-old male of Hispanic ethnicity who had worked for the demolition employer for 

five days. He weighed approximately 126 pounds. He was not using personal fall arrest equipment at the time of the 

incident.

EQUIPMENT

Equipment noted at the scene included two scissor-style personnel lifts used for roof access by employees. A boom-style 

lift, an excavator, and a skid-steer were used for material handling. One of the scissor lifts used by the deceased 

employee to access the roof, or a similar type, is shown in Photo 1. 
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 4

Photo 1. Scissor lift (Property of FACE program)

INCIDENT SCENE

The scene was an older structure that formerly housed an automobile dealership and attached maintenance garage. A

showroom had been located in the front portion, with a garage in the rear. The garage was approximately 19 feet high

from grade and was undergoing demolition on the day of the fatal incident. A newer building had been built behind the 

older structure, and the older structure was being razed. The older structure was underlaid by a concrete pad and 

surrounded by an asphalt lot. The roof was constructed of corrugated metal with a low-slope pitch (defined under 29 

CFR 1926.500[b] as a roof having a slope less than or equal to 4 in 12 [vertical to horizontal]). Photo 2 provides a Google 

Earth [2023] photo of the building as it appeared on March 6, 2021, with an overhead view of the roof with skylights in 

place. The skylight involved in the fatal incident is indicated with a red circle. 

Photo 2. Google Earth view of building on March 6, 2021 
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 5

WEATHER

The weather at the time of the incident was approximately 68 degrees Fahrenheit, with a 4 mile per hour (mph) 

northeasterly wind speed, 9 mph wind gusts, and no precipitation [Weather Underground, 2023]. These conditions are 

not considered to have played a significant role in the incident.

INVESTIGATION

On the day of the fatal incident, four employees began work at approximately 9:00 a.m. These employees were tasked 

with removing sections of the garage roof. At the time of the incident, a portion of the roof had already been removed, 

as shown in Photo 3. Progression of the demolition work is shown in Photo 4. 

Photo 3. Building undergoing demolition on day of fatal 

incident (Courtesy of KyOSHA)

Photo 4. Building framework remaining at time of FACE 

site visit (Property of FACE program) 

The employees working on the roof were exposed to falls from unprotected edges around the periphery of the roof as 

well as from the periphery of the interior area where the roofing had been removed. Employees were not provided 

personal fall arrest equipment for the job. At the time of the incident, there were eight skylights in the remaining roof, 

including the skylight through which the deceased employee fell. The skylight construction material was unknown but 

believed to be polycarbonate plastic.

The four employees were observed by their supervisor to be working without any means of fall protection (e.g., 

guardrail system, covers, personal fall arrest system) before the incident. A witness reported that the deceased 

employee was walking backward across the roof when he stepped onto a skylight and fell through it. Following a call to 

911, local fire department personnel arrived and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with emergency medical services 

arriving shortly thereafter. The employee died of his injuries a few feet from where he fell. The skylight that the 

employee fell through is indicated by a red circle in Photo 5. 
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 6

Photo 5. Skylight (Courtesy of KyOSHA)

CAUSE OF DEATH 

The employee died from blunt force injuries to his head, torso, and extremities produced by the fall. 

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS 

Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of one or more contributing factors or key events in a larger 

sequence of events that ultimately result in the injury or fatality. Kentucky FACE has identified the following hazards as 

key contributing factors in this incident:

• Working at height

• Exposure to falls through skylights

• Multi-employer worksites

• Lack of understanding of workplace hazards and control methods

• Lack of safety training and communication

RECOMMENDATIONS/DISCUSSION

Recommendation #1: Employers should safeguard employees working around skylights. 

Discussion: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2021, 62 fatalities in the construction industry resulted from a 

fall through a surface or existing opening [2023]. Employers must, at a minimum, comply with OSHA’s standard 29 CFR 

1926.501(b)(4)(i), which requires that employees on walking/working surfaces be protected from falling through 

skylights that are more than six feet above a lower level by a personal fall arrest system, skylight covers, or a guardrail 

system erected around them. NIOSH cautions in its publication, NIOSH ALERT: Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries 

from Falls Through Skylights and Roof Openings, that railings or screens guarding all skylights should be installed before 

roofing work begins and remain in place until all work is completed. 
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 7

OSHA requires in 29 CFR 1926.502(i)(2) that skylight covers must be: 

• Capable of supporting, without failure, at least twice the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that 

may be imposed on the cover at any one time,

• Secured when installed to prevent accidental displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees, and

• Color coded or marked with the word “HOLE” or “COVER” to provide warning of the hazard.

Examples of protective systems for skylight railings and covers are shown below in photos 6 and 7, respectively.

Photo 6. Blue Water-Roof Hatch & Skylight Fall 

Protection Safety Rails, Colorado Safety Supply 

Company [2023]

Photo 7. Skyguard Skylight Screen, Edge Fall 

Protection [2023]

Recommendation #2: Employers should provide safeguards for employees working at height.

Discussion: Working at height poses a serious and potentially fatal hazard. Exposure to falls is especially noteworthy 

because of the likelihood of encountering unprotected sides and edges as well as skylights and other roof openings. 

OSHA’s fall protection standard 29 CFR 1926.501, Duty of have fall protection, gives the following options for protecting 

employees working at height:

• Guardrails and covers (see Recommendation #1, above)

• Safety net systems

• Personal fall arrest systems
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 8

OSHA’s Fall Protection in Construction [2015] provides detailed guidance on the various forms of fall protection and 

their proper use. Photos 8 and 9 provide examples of safety net systems and personal fall arrest systems, respectively. 

Photo 8. Safety net system [OSHA, 2015]

Photo 9. Personal fall arrest system [OSHA, n.d.]
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 9

NIOSH [2023] provides that controlling employee exposure to workplace hazards is vital to protecting workers and that 

the use of a hierarchy of controls is best for controlling exposures, as shown in Image 1. Guardrails, covers, and safety 

nets are forms of engineering controls and therefore are preferred over personal fall arrest systems, which are personal 

protective equipment. However, personal fall arrest systems may be appropriate in many cases, such as when 

engineering controls are being installed or when their use is not feasible. 

n

Image 1. Hierarchy of Controls [NIOSH, 2023]

Recommendation #3: Employers should consider prevention through design (PtD) to “design out” or minimize hazards 

and risk. 

Discussion: Most skylights in the U.S. are not designed to withstand the weight of an individual. Use of guardrails, grids, 

internal and external screens, or specifically designed products meeting fall protection standards can be used to prevent 

falls through skylights. Also, some skylights are designed to withstand human impact or point loads. For example, in the 

United Kingdom, nonfragile roofing products are widely used to prevent falls through skylights [ACR - Advisory 

Committee for Roof Safety, 2000].

In considering fall hazard control methods, employers should consider the Prevention through Design (PtD) approach to 

prevent and minimize potential hazards. This approach is considered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health [NIOSH, 2013] to be one of the best ways to prevent and control occupational injuries, illnesses, and 

fatalities. 
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 10

The mission of the national PtD initiative is to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities through 

the inclusion of prevention considerations in all designs that impact workers. The mission can be achieved by:

• Eliminating hazards and controlling risks to workers to an acceptable level “at the source” or as early as possible 

in the life cycle of items or workplaces;

• Including design, redesign, and retrofit of new and existing work premises, structures, tools, facilities, 

equipment, machinery, products, substances, work processes, and the organization of work; and

• Enhancing the work environment through the inclusion of prevention methods in all designs that impact 

workers and others on the premises.

PtD encompasses all the efforts to anticipate and “design out” hazards to workers; such efforts can include changes to 

construction design, work methods and operations, equipment, and the organization of work, along with use of new 

technologies. The focus of PtD is on workers who execute the designs or must work with the products of the design. The 

initiative has been developed to support designing out hazards, the most reliable and effective type of prevention. By 

utilizing Prevention through Design, employers can eliminate fall hazards associated with skylights by excluding them 

from building designs. Facilities with existing skylights can phase out and remove the skylights in lieu of repairing them, 

thus eliminating the hazard and future exposure. 

Recommendation #4: Employers should train employees on how to recognize the hazards of falls and the procedures 

to be followed to minimize this hazard while accounting for each worker’s primary language.

Discussion: Employers must, at a minimum, comply with OSHA’s standard 29 CFR 1926.503(a)(1), which requires that 

employers provide a training program for each employee who might be exposed to fall hazards. 

OSHA provides generalized guidance on providing effective training to employees in publications such as Resource for 

Development and Delivery of Training to Workers [2021]. This publication contains instruction helpful to employers on 

topics such as: 

• Characteristics of sound training programs

• Best practices for training adults 

• Principles of adult education

• Program design, delivery, and evaluation elements.
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 11

Also, OSHA’s webpage Fall Prevention Campaign - Training Resources provides access to training resources regarding fall 

hazards and controls specific to the construction industry. Resources include:

• OSHA Alliance Program Toolbox talks and training products

• Prevention videos

• CPWR: Stop Construction Falls

• Best practices for training adults 

• Principles of adult education

• Program design, delivery, and evaluation elements.

Research indicates that Hispanic workers die from construction falls at a substantially higher rate than non-Hispanic 

workers [Center for Construction Research and Training, 2023]. Accordingly, training should be provided to employees in 

their primary language and should account for cultural relevance.

Recommendation #5: Employers must ensure that they understand their responsibilities for the safety and health of 

their employees working on multi-employer worksites.

Discussion: The OSHA policy CPL 2-0.124: Multi-Employer Citation Policy [1999] sets forth how employers are 

responsible for employee safety and health on multi-employer worksites. This policy establishes four categories of 

employers: creating, exposing, correcting, and controlling. Each of these categories carries its own respective

responsibilities for employee safety and health, and an employer may fall into more than one category concurrently. 

Employers should also review OSHA’s publication, Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in 

Construction, OSHA 3886 [2016]. This publication includes guidance on how employers can establish effective 

communication and coordination with other employers on multi-employer worksites. Likewise, employers should 

consider following the guidance provided by the American National Standards Institute’s A10.33-2020 Safety and Health 

Program Requirements for Multi-Employer Worksites [2023]. This consensus standard includes provisions that set forth 

employer responsibilities relative to employee safety as they apply to owners, contractors, subcontractors, sub-tier 

contactors, and suppliers who perform work on a construction or demolition project. 

DISCLAIMER

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by Kentucky FACE and NIOSH. In addition, 

citations to websites external to Kentucky FACE and NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring 

organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, Kentucky FACE and NIOSH are not responsible for the content 

of these websites. All web addresses referenced in this document were accessible as of the publication date.

REFERENCES

ACR - Advisory Committee for Roof Safety. [2000]. The Red Book: Test for Non-fragility of Large Element Roofing 

Assemblies. 6th ed. 

ANSI [2023] ANSI/ASSP A10.33-2020 Safety and Health Program Requirements for Multi-Employer Worksites. American 

National Standards Institute.

BLS [2023]. Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and Fatal Injuries Profiles. Query conducted March 9, 2023, as follows: 

Table type: Fatal Injuries Numbers, Year: 2021, Area: All U.S. Beginning year: 2021, Characteristic type: Industry, 

Order: Name or description, Sub characteristic: Construction GP1CON, Ownership type: all ownerships. U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics.
REPORT#: 22KY046 Page 12

Center for Construction Research and Training [2023]. Occupational health inequity: Hispanic workers more likely to die 

from falls.

Colorado Safety Supply Company [2023]. Blue Water-Roof Hatch & Skylight Fall Protection Safety Rails.

Edge Fall Protection [2023]. Skyguard Skylight Screen. 

Google Earth [2023]. 37003’31”N 840 37’20”W. Imagery date: 3/6/21-newer

NIOSH [1989]. NIOSH ALERT: Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Falls Through Skylights and Roof Openings. 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication 90-100. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 

NIOSH [2013]. Prevention Through Design. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

OSHA [n.d.]. 29 CFR 1926.500(b) Definitions. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [n.d.]. 29 CFR 1926.501 Duty to have fall protection. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [n.d.]. 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(4)(i) Holes. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [n.d.] 29 CFR 1926.502 Fall protection systems criteria and practices. Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration.

OSHA [n.d.]. 29 CFR 1926.503(a)(1) Training program. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [n.d.]. eTools: Construction: Falls – Personal fall arrest systems. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [n.d.]. Fall Prevention Campaign - Training Resources. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [1999]. CPL 2-0.124: Multi-Employer Citation Policy. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [2015]. Fall Protection in Construction, #3146. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [2016]. Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction, OSHA 3886. Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration.

OSHA [2021]. Resource for Development and Delivery of Training to Workers OSHA 3824. Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration.

Weather Underground [2023]. Weather History for KKYFERGU4. Atlanta, GA: The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc.

INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION

Investigation conducted and report prepared by Dr. David Stumbo, OHST, CSP. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Kentucky FACE Program would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by the Kentucky Department of 

Workplace Standards, Division of Compliance, toward this report. 

PROGRAM FUNDING

The Kentucky Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation program is funded by grant 5 U60OH008483-17-00 from the 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.