# Falling through the ceiling



## dwendt1978 (Mar 13, 2010)

My brother-in-law came over Saturday to help me finish installing osb in the front have of my garage/shop. I was grabbing some tools when he was sitting on the trusses in the part we had finished a few weeks ago. He sat back onto one of the sheets of osb and it was the ONE piece that we installed with the brad nailer and forgot to follow up with screws!

So all of a sudden I hear a load "CRACK" and a sheet of osb goes falling to the floor with him behind it. He landed flat on his back with his head ending up a mere inch away from hitting the auger on my snowblower! And he still had the big screwdriver he was using in his hand that ended up under his right thigh. Talk about close!!

He actually laughed it off and said it hurt his pride more than anything. I think what saved his butt was how flat he landed. The osb he went through was an end run so it was only 2' by 4' piece that he managed to fall through. PAY ATTENTION!!!


----------



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

It just goes to show that you never know when or how an accident is going to happen. I'm glad that he could laugh it off and i hope that he is okay. I'm very glad that it wasn't worse.


----------



## Locodcdude (Oct 24, 2010)

Sorry but, That's kinda funny picturing this here. But similar thing happened to me a few days ago. I was relying on a shelf in my work bench to support my weight while I screwed in my light fixture to the ceiling. Mid way through the support cracked and I was left on the floor. The shelf was sturdy, but it was also holding the weight of my planer, and my self.


----------



## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

This OSB was under the rafter ties, right? Personally I wouldn't even walk on the screwed on parts. On top, sure, maybe, depending. On the bottom, uh-uh, never. Glad no one was hurt. 

I had hired grunts helping with a demo, and one scored a large section of ceiling that had been marked for demo, then just smashed it from below with his hammer, but without looking up above. He hit a tool box (with heavy stuff, that had been parked straddling a rafter tie, and dropped it to the new tile floor shattering several pieces (but not his head).


----------



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

is should be on top of the rafters if you plan to walk on it because even with screws its not safe


----------



## davelindgren (Aug 25, 2010)

When I was building my house I was standing on a rafter with one foot. My foot slipped off, I smacked my chin on one rafter and the back of my head on the one behind me. First thing I did when I rose off the floor was look around to make sure no one saw me! And yes, it did smart a bit. I still cant figure out how no bones broke.


----------



## dwendt1978 (Mar 13, 2010)

Woodworkingkid said:


> is should be on top of the rafters if you plan to walk on it because even with screws its not safe


The osb was for the ceiling. Not really sure why he sat back on it but said he was sitting there for a couple minutes with just brads holding it in place.

Dave, that's funny. I know what you mean about getting hurt and acting like nothing happened or act like "wow, that was close".

I was walking (fairly fast) out of a friends garage and the door was opened only to forehead level, and I walked right into it and ended up on my can. HURT LIKE HELL. Ofcourse I acted like it didn't.

I drive truck and was hooking up my trailer and talking to a buddy and walked right into the reefer unit. It didn't budge! I had a huge knot on my forehead. "WHOA are you ok?" Yeah I said, just caught the top of my hat!


----------



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

ok i thought that you were planing on storing stuff on the obs and walking on it all the time and i thought that that sounded like a bad idea


----------



## klr650 (Apr 4, 2010)

I was putting the roof on my tool shed and had just tossed a sheet up, let go to pick up the screwgun to secure it, and it slid off the roof - landing square on my head. Staggered around the yard for a half an hour or so, but no damage - wait what was I talking about again?:huh:


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Does sliding off the roof count?*

Years ago, on my freshly sheathed roof, I was spreading a tarp to protect if from an impending rain storm...mom was watching. 
One foot on the tarp and one on the sheathing was a ticket to a downhill ride. No amount of fingernails and bare palms were going to slow me down as I sat down and waited for the worst. On the ground on the left was a pile of construction lumber, with nails and sharp ends. On the right was a 5 ft high pile of sand. MY feet went into the sand about 18" :thumbsup: so I just shook it out of my shoes and said "Thanks, that was a close one" :huh: bill


----------



## Bryanatkinson (Jun 23, 2011)

Years ago, my dad was falling through the ceiling too. Exactly same situation.
The roof was made of wood and it's old so it couldn't support.

He quickly admitted to the hospital, thanks God that now he's alright.


----------



## MGP Roofing (Jul 10, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> Years ago, on my freshly sheathed roof, I was spreading a tarp to protect if from an impending rain storm...mom was watching.
> One foot on the tarp and one on the sheathing was a ticket to a downhill ride. No amount of fingernails and bare palms were going to slow me down as I sat down and waited for the worst. On the ground on the left was a pile of construction lumber, with nails and sharp ends. On the right was a 5 ft high pile of sand. MY feet went into the sand about 18" :thumbsup: so I just shook it out of my shoes and said "Thanks, that was a close one" :huh: bill


Years ago, I had a similar scenario. The tile roof I was installing had a residue from the manufacturing process that made the tiles slippery. One foot on a particularly bad tile & I was sliding down the roof. I waited for the worst. Down below was a pile of tile offcuts, beside that, a pile of sand, and just beyond that, a wire fence with steel posts. I landed feet first in the sand, still holding the tile I had been cutting! I brushed off the sand, walked around the house to the ladder, got back on the roof and carried on. Most of the crew wasn't even aware of the incident! :blink:


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

MGP Roofing said:


> Years ago, I had a similar scenario. The tile roof I was installing had a residue from the manufacturing process that made the tiles slippery. One foot on a particularly bad tile & I was sliding down the roof. I waited for the worst. Down below was a pile of tile offcuts, beside that, a pile of sand, and just beyond that, a wire fence with steel posts. I landed feet first in the sand, still holding the tile I had been cutting! I brushed off the sand, walked around the house to the ladder, got back on the roof and carried on. Most of the crew wasn't even aware of the incident! :blink:


That's faster than coming down a ladder.:laughing:












 







.


----------



## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

A place I worked at years ago had some AC work done. The guy doing the work fell through the drop ceiling and came crashing to the floor. Then, about two years later, the same company came out to do more AC work and the SAME guy fell through the SAME spot. We got a good laugh about it.


----------



## vinnypatternmaker (Mar 27, 2011)

*Look before you leap!*

Hi,
Many times these things turn out tragic, but that's not what this thread is about...it could be about any of us!?!
Thirty years ago, I was a partner in a GC company with my bass player friend (musicians'...a good clue). :huh: An excellent guitarist friend was to be married in a few weeks, so, as friends, we helped him redo his newly bought home in Brooklyn (where else?).
My partner and I placed a piece of WP sheetrock across some joists, and sat down for lunch.
John (the fiancee' dude) walks in and stands on the sheetrock. He didn't fall through to the basement, since by luck, his feet were actually over the joists. We begged him to let us walk him out of danger. Instead, he saw fit to step to the left (laughing) thinking we were crazy, and (remember: musician) JUMPS up and on his descent, both legs fell through the 5/8" rock, leaving him landing on his groin, squarely on the joist! His "boys" were plunged upward (ewww) real bad, he did not want to be touched, and kept yelling "call 911!", even after help arrived. Yes, we should have been more careful. His "boys" ended up where God didn't intend them to be, but after surgery, (and recovery), he fathered three healthy children.
PS...He was the leader of a top of the line band in NYC, and five years later for very little money performed at Marena's and my wedding, 9 piece band performing so well, that people still brag about it :thumbsup:!
Also, drugs/booze were surprisingly NOT involved, but we are all still friends! He was involved with a popular touring/recording band and is still one of the BEST in the business :smile:!
There is a lesson here somewhere!?!
Best, vinnypatternmaker


----------



## SchimmerB (Jan 4, 2012)

Let's see. My FIL was a carpenter for years. Decades ago he walked out a second story window that had not been installed. That's all I've ever heard.
My first BIL stepped through his son's bdrm ceiling while working in the attic. He stepped right between the joist after I said watch your step.
My second BIL just fell off a platform while working on an AC unit in a major store and broke his arm. He was the only one to do it right. It was just in time to have surgery, recover a little, be at his first son's birth and clean the house when my sister couldn't at the end of her preg time.
None of them are blood relatives so don't ask me what's wrong with my family.


----------



## Davebush (Oct 14, 2011)

SchimmerB said:


> Let's see. My FIL was a carpenter for years. Decades ago he walked out a second story window that had not been installed. That's all I've ever heard.
> My first BIL stepped through his son's bdrm ceiling while working in the attic. He stepped right between the joist after I said watch your step.
> My second BIL just fell off a platform while working on an AC unit in a major store and broke his arm. He was the only one to do it right. It was just in time to have surgery, recover a little, be at his first son's birth and clean the house when my sister couldn't at the end of her preg time.
> None of them are blood relatives so don't ask me what's wrong with my family.


But at least your second BIL is much better looking than you. Further, in my, er, HIS defense, the platform actually kicked out from under him while he was standing on it. LOL.


----------

