Falling Tape Measure Kills Man At New Jersey Construction Site

A falling tape measure killed a man at a New Jersey construction site. Carly Baldwin from Jersey City’s department of public safety confirmed the incident occurred at approximately 9:00 a.m. Monday morning. Gary Anderson, 58, was fatally injured when the 1-pound tape measure struck his head.

According to reports, the tape measure was originally in the possession of a construction worker, who was on the 50th floor. The worker was not using the tape measure at the time. However, it became dislodged from the worker’s belt, and the device fell approximately 500 feet before ricocheting off a piece of construction equipment. The tape measure then fell another 15 feet before striking Anderson in the head.

As reported by People, Anderson was delivering sheet rock for National Gypsum, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although he had a hard hat inside his truck, he was not wearing it when the accident occurred.

Anderson was immediately transported to Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health. Unfortunately, he suffered cardiac arrest and died shortly thereafter.

Philly.com reports that investigators with the The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded to the scene and closed the site. However, it was reopened when the incident was deemed to be accidental. Public Safety Director James Shea confirmed that “upon preliminary investigation, it appears to be a very tragic accident.”

According to OSHA, construction workers account for 20 percent of work related deaths. In 2013 alone, nearly 800 construction workers were killed on site. A total of 82 were killed by falling objects.

It might seem unlikely that a falling tape measure could kill a man, but, unfortunately, it is a grim reality. In the last forty years, the number of deaths on construction sites has continued to decline. However, OSHA encourages construction employers and workers to adhere to safety standards — which include wearing protective gear at all times.

As required by OSHA standards, construction workers “shall wear hard hats where there is a potential for objects falling from above… ” It is also recommended that protective hats are “routinely inspected” for defects, “replaced after a heavy blow” and “maintained in good condition.”

OSHA estimates “nearly 6.5 million people work at 225,000 construction sites across the nation.” As it is impossible for OSHA inspectors to monitor every site, it is up to local officials and the employers to ensure safety standards are being met.

It is impossible to know whether the falling tape measure would have killed the man if he had been wearing a hard hat. However, it certainly would have lessened the blow.

[Image via Shutterstock]