Following an investigation into a window washer’s eleven-story fall from the roof of a San Francisco building, Cal/OSHA cited Century Window Cleaning for five safety hazards. Two of the five hazards cited were for serious violations including the failure to secure the roof with fall protection equipment and inadequate training on the proper use of the victim’s personal fall protection equipment.

Cal/OSHA investigators determined that Pedro Perez, (58), was in the process of moving the extension cord of a suspended scaffold around the corner of the building at 400 Montgomery Street in San Francisco. As he moved toward the edge of the roof, he disconnected the lanyard of his fall protection equipment from an anchor point. He then lost his balance and tumbled over the edge. The plunge sent him 130 feet to the street below. Perez smashed into a moving car where he laid wincing and miraculously alive for a moment on the crumpled roof of a green Toyota Camry, witnesses said, and then rolled off onto the pavement. “He was one lucky man to survive that fall,” said Peter Melton, a spokesman with the California Department of Industrial Relations. “It seems pretty clear the cushioning of the car he fell onto kept him alive.”

In total, there were five citations with proposed penalties of $12,765 issued in this case: three general, one serious and one serious accident related citations. A general violation is cited when an accident or illness resulting from the violation of a standard would probably not cause death or serious harm, but would have a direct effect on the health of employees. In contrast, a serious violation is cited when there is a realistic possibility that death or serious physical harm could result from the violation.

Century Window Cleaning was issued a citation in 2008 for four regulatory violations in Redwood City. Two involved work procedures, and two involved use of equipment, he said. No accidents or injuries were involved. The company was fined $2,720.

“While it is miraculous that this man survived a fall from this height, his fall is an essential reminder that employers are required to provide protections from the hazards of high elevation work,” said Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Director Christine Baker.

“Falls from elevation are a leading cause of death and injury among workers. Cal/OSHA just concluded a statewide effort to highlight the importance of fall safety protection, including a review of fall protection equipment and the need to train on its use,” stated Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum.

According to 2013 statistics on California workplace fatalities published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22 of 61 fatalities in the construction industry were due to slips, trips and falls. But, Stefan Bright, safety director for the International Window Cleaners Association, said 14 incidents have been reported for the year involving window washing that required rescue, and three of those involved injuries. One was fatal. In 2013, there were 11 rescue situations, two of which involved fatalities. “Relatively speaking, washing windows isn’t even in the top 100 most dangerous professions,” Bright said. “What happened in San Francisco …is extremely rare.”