Scott Ewell fell to his death, period.  He wasn't using safety equipment for falls.  He was a resident of the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless.

Dave Auchter, vice president of The Auchter Co., General Contractor for the worksite is quoted as saying

"...the worker was standing behind a 4-foot parapet wall on the roof when he was knocked over the wall by a rooftop crane davit....the crane was being used to lift handrails to workers installing them on the upper-floor balconies...Those workers were wearing harnesses to protect against falls."

My question...was safety equipment made available to him, as it was to the existing crew that were handling the rails.  I'm also curious how many of the other workers at the site were homeless, and if there was a difference in safety needs being addressed towards them as much as towards Scott Ewell.

Source: CHARLIE PATTON, The Times-Union