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Respected Sir,
When I got to the building I found that the hurricane had knocked some of the bricks off the top. So I rigged up a beam and pulley at the top of the building and hoisted up a couple of barrels of bricks.
When I had fixed the building there were a lot of bricks left over. I hoisted the barrel back up again and secured a line at the bottom, and then went up and filled the barrel with the extra bricks. Then I went to the bottom and cast off the line.
Unfortunately the barrel of bricks was heavier than I was and before I knew what was happening the barrel started down, jerking me off the ground. I decided to hang on and half way up I met the barrel coming up down and received a severe blow to my shoulder.
I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my finger jammed in the pulley. When the barrel hit the ground it bust its bottom, allowing all the bricks to spill out. I was heavier than the empty barrel and so started again at high speed. Halfway down I met the barrel coming up and received severe injuries to my shins. When I hit the ground I landed on the bricks getting several painful cuts from the sharp edges.
At this point I must have lost my presence of mind because I let go of the line. The barrel then came down on my head giving me another heavy blow on the head and putting me in the hospital.
Yours sincerely,
or
Dear Sir,
I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block 3 of the accident report form. I put “poor planning” as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had some bricks left over
which, when weighed later, were found to be slightly in excess of 500lbs. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which was attached to the side of the building on the sixth floor.
Securing the rope at ground I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow descent of the bricks.
You will note in Block 11 of the accident report form that I weigh 135lbs. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.
In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel, which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed.
This explained the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collar bone, as listed in section 3 of the accident report form. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.
Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of beginning to experience pain. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, that barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight. As you can imagine, I began a rapid descent, down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and several lacerations of my legs and lower body.
Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.
I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope and I lay there watching the empty barrel begin its journey back down onto me. This explains the two broken legs.
I hope this answers your inquiry.
