OSHA lessons learned on construction & structural collapse accidents

Our construction and structural collapse attorneys laud the effort by OSHA to take a lessons learned approach to past accidents in order to prevent future ones. Structural collapse accidents and construction accidents can take a deadly toll on workers and others. Construction accidents involving cranes, fires, and sudden failures of scaffolding or building support members often claim multiple lives in tragic scenes of needless devastation.

Concerned with the number of fatal accidents, OSHA reviewed data on all construction structural collapses occurring between 1990 and 2008. The data involved 96 structural failures in a variety of high- and low-rise timber, concrete, and steel structures.

The OSHA report, Structural Collapses during Construction, Lessons Learned, 1990 – 2008, by Mohammad Ayub, P.E., S.E., concluded that:

• 80% of the structural collapse accidents could be attributed to construction errors, and
• 62% of the accidents were related to steel structures like scaffolds and platforms.

In breaking down these two primary groups of construction structural failure accidents, OSHA noted several more specific causative factors common to these accidents. Our construction and structural collapse attorneys list a few of these factors below:

• Placement of unplanned additional “dead load” over single and double tees led to collapse;
• Temporary connections of members were inadequate;
• Placement of construction materials over roof members led to collapses;
• Placement of brick loads on different tiers of scaffold framing overstressed the frames and caused the scaffolds to collapse;
• The scaffold platform structures configured and erected on site were not designed for the loads placed on them;
• Formwork support systems were under-proportioned for both the horizontal and the vertical loads;
• Concrete masonry wall designs were inadequate for the loads placed on them both during construction and upon completion; and
• Timber roof trusses were not adequately braced.

If you’ve been injured in or lost a loved one to a construction-related structural collapse accident, you know just how harmful and deadly such accidents can be. And obtaining adequate financial recompense to cope with your injuries following the accident can be a daunting task as well-financed corporate concerns seek to avoid liability.

Get an aggressive and knowledgeable legal team on your side to ensure that you have your opportunity to hold those responsible for your accident financially accountable for their negligence. Contact the experienced construction and structural collapse accident attorneys at Denena & Points for a free initial legal consultation.

Our construction and structural collapse attorneys are some of the very few attorneys in the nation to possess solid, hands on experience successfully obtaining full financial recoveries for the injured victims of structural collapses. Don’t entrust your one chance for a successful financial recovery to an inexperienced attorney. Contact Tony Denena and Chad Points today to learn how you could obtain the just compensation award that you deserve for your needless injuries.