OSHA is investigating the death of a construction worker in New Hampshire who fell 15 feet from a scissor lift.
Dana Lowe, 53, was on the lift when a crane hook knocked it over. Police say Lowe hit his head on a concrete floor and steel beams below.
The construction worker was taken to an area hospital where he died several hours later. The cause of death is listed as blunt force trauma to the head.
Lowe was part of a crew erecting steel beams in the expansion of a hotel in Hanover, NH. He was working for CSE, Inc., of Williston, VT.
Police say this is the only serious injury that has occurred since the start of renovations at the Hanover Inn.
Lowe worked in construction for 15 years and had worked for CSE for several years. He had mentored other workers in steel working.
OSHA requires training for all workers who use lifts.
Here is a breakdown of the various causes of injuries and deaths involving lifts:
- 30% power line contact
- 23% falls from tip-over
- 20% falls from platform
- 12% struck or crushed by lift
- 10% maintenance related, and
- 5% from all other causes.
For an OSHA document on aerial lift safety, click here (PDF).
