In March of 2018, an under construction pedestrian bridge on Florida International University’s (FIU) campus collapsed onto an open street below, killing 6 and injuring several others. Many investigations and lawsuits are still ongoing after the tragedy, but OSHA has released their official report after a roughly 14 month long investigation.
Read moreOSHA Releases Suicide Prevention Website for Construction Industry
According to a 2016 study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the construction industry sadly ranks first in total suicides and second in suicide rate compared to all other industries in the United States. In response, OSHA has recently published a webpage with resources to help prevent suicides in the construction industry.
Read moreAt least 1 killed, 6 Injured by Collapsed Crane Hits Occupied Apartment Building During Storm
As a storm blew through the Dallas, Texas area on Sunday afternoon, a tower crane standing near an occupied apartment building collapsed causing at least one fatality and 6 injuries.
Read moreOSHA Exploring Possible Update to Lockout/Tagout Standard
The lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure has been one of the critical elements of electrical safety training on construction sites for a decade. Generally, it’s pretty simple: if you need to work on an energized circuit or piece of equipment, shut down the breaker, put a lock on it so no one can turn it back on, and place a tag on it with your information. OSHA is considering updating the standard now and is currently requesting information from interested parties.
Read moreFIU Bridge Collapse Update: Court Documents Claim Engineer Dismissed Safety Concerns Hours Before Collapse
As the United States just recently suffered another tragic and deadly construction incident involving civilians after a crane collapsed in Seattle over the weekend, we’re reminded that the bridge collapse on FIU’s campus in Miami in early 2018 still has many unanswered questions.
Read moreDashcam Video of Deadly Seattle Crane Collapse Surfaces, Giving Clues to the Cause
On Saturday afternoon, tragedy struck downtown Seattle as a tower crane that was being dismantled suddenly fell to the street below, killing two ironworkers and 2 people that were in their cars, as well as injuring 4 others. Dashcam footage of that collapse has recently surfaced, giving some clues as to why the crane fell as it did.
After reviewing the video and pictures from the scene, many believe that the pins, which secure the tower crane sections together, were pulled prematurely. King5 News reports that experts point to the fact that the base section of the crane did not move at all. Many initial reports pointed to wind gusts that rolled through the area, but it now appears that the wind only played a small part as the structure was significantly weakened.
In King5’s story, attorney David Kwass, who has worked on the litigation for crane incidents in the past, drew comparisons to a 2012 crane collapse in Dallas. In that case, many thought the wind was a big factor, but it was later discovered that the crane had been prematurely de-pinned.
As the investigation rolls on, let’s not lose sight of the fact that 4 people lost their lives and many others will be affected by witnessing the incident for years to come. King5 also reported that the victims were 33-year-old Travis Corbet and 31-year-old Andrew Yoder, both ironworkers, as well as a 19-year-old college freshman Sarah Wong and 71-year-old Alan Justad.
The video of the incident shared on YouTube is below.
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Crane Collapse in Seattle Kills 2 Civilians, 2 Workers and Injures 4 Others
For the past 3 years, Seattle, Washington has had the most construction cranes out of any United States city. But, as we know, from various videos and news stories, a crane collapse can have absolutely devastating consequences. On Saturday, a crane collapsed in downtown Seattle onto an open road below, killing two construction workers, 2 pedestrians, and injuring several others in the process.
Read moreMay 6 Kicks Off 2019 Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction
via OSHA
Every year since 2012, OSHA, NIOSH, and CPWR have teamed up to lead a National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. The campaign helps build awareness through supplying resources, organizing webinars, and other outreach techniques in hopes that it will help save lives in the construction industry. The 2019 Stand Down has been scheduled for May 6-10.
In preparation for the campaign, the organizations involved have already released plenty of resources to help contractors prepare ahead of time. The event is, of course, voluntary for all companies to participate in, but OSHA provides several tips for preparing for a successful stand down:
Try to start early
Think about asking your subcontractors, owner, architects, engineers, and others to participate
Consider reviewing your existing fall prevention program
Develop presentations or activities to meet your needs
Decide when to hold the stand-down and how long it will last
Promote the stand-down to your employees or outside the company, if it will be public
Hold your stand-down
Follow up
Free and Public Events
In addition to planning and performing your own stand-down activities and presentations, you can also find free and public events that are scheduled throughout the country through the events page on the National Safety Stand-Down webpage.
via NIOSH
via NIOSH
Certifications
After the event is over, contractors can visit OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down page to receive a Certificate of Participation and provide feedback about how their campaign went. Documenting your training achievements and being recognized is a great way to show that your company is committed to reducing injuries and fatalities on your jobsites.
More Information: National Safety Stand-Down To Prevent Falls in Construction | OSHA
Rash of Trench Collapse Deaths Highlight the Continual Need for Training
All trench collapse deaths are preventable. As soon as everyone on a job site starts believing that we might actually make some progress. In just the past 10 days, there have been 4 trench collapse deaths across 3 separate incidents, further highlighting how far we still need to go.
Read more[VIDEO] Construction Worker Survives Being Impaled by Rebar THROUGH HIS HEAD
Falls on the jobsite is the leading cause of injuries and fatalities in construction. Keeping up with housekeeping on your site is a great way to reduce risks of falls, but other protections, like rebar caps should be installed when rebar is exposed. A young construction worker recently found out the hard way what happens when rebar is left exposed.
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