A 27-year-old laborer lost his life ended suddenly because his employer failed to have a competent person inspect the rail supporting a scaffold system nearly 80 feet off the ground for visible defects, an investigation by OSHA has found.
On Dec. 8, 2015, Leonardo De Jesus and a co-worker were on a "swing-stage" suspended scaffold installing a high-bay pallet storage system for a new Kroger distribution center in Forest Park. The men were half way up the scaffold system attempting to realign sections of the rail to move the scaffold. Suddenly, the rollers supporting the scaffold came off the rail causing the scaffold to fall approximately 40 feet to the ground. While both workers were wearing fall protection, De Jesus's fall protection came off the rail and he fell nearly four stories. His co-worker was left suspended by his fall protection and was recovered with minor injuries.