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.
