Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200203271 - 19 Employees Are Injured When Canopy Walk Collapses, One Die

Accident Summary Nr: 200203271 -- Report ID: 0418200 -- Event Date: 12/19/2008
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312770092	12/19/2008	1771	238140	Southern Decorative Concrete Inc.
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312770282	12/19/2008	1799	238990	Pioneer Concrete Pumping Service, Inc.
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312770308	12/19/2008	1791	238120	Williams Erection Company
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312770092	12/19/2008	1771	238140	Southern Decorative Concrete Inc.
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312770290	01/12/2009	3299	327999	Forta Corporation
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
312770092	12/19/2008	1771	238140	Southern Decorative Concrete Inc.

Abstract: At approximately 9:00 a.m. on December 19, 2008, Employees were pouring concrete onto a metal decking (walking area) structure for the Atlanta Botanical Garden Canopy Walk construction project. They were working from an elevated structure approximately 400 ft long (compose of several 30 ft sections) and approximately 35 ft from the ground. After pouring approximately 25 to 30 yd of concrete, the structure suddenly collapsed, killing Employee #1 and injuring 19 others, 10 of those employees were hospitalized. Based on the onsite investigation and interviews, noncompliance with the shoring tower design caused the accident. The shoring contractor failed to comply with the design, because three of the steel beams used in shoring towers number 6 and 9 did not meet structural design requirements, and the helical anchor was inadequately embedded in the soil and not braced for shoring towers of 20 ft or greater in height requirement. Additionally, the shoring contractor did not provide the required diagonal cable bracings between the anchors. Anchors with shallow depths would make them highly susceptible to differential settlement and lateral movements. This created the collapse hazard. The shoring contractor had received instructions to provide lateral bracings. Seven anchors under tower number 7 and 8 had embedment depths that varied from 43 in. to 17 in., but none were braced.

Keywords: ANCHOR, SHORING, TOWER, COLLAPSE, WALK PLATFORM

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Bridge		New project or new addition		$5,000,000 to $20,000,000		35	X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Concrete and terrazzo finishers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
2	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
3	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Cut/Laceration	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
4	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Cut/Laceration	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
5	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
6	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Strain/Sprain	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
7	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
8	312770092	Non Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
9	312770282	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
10	312770308	Non Hospitalized injury	Bruise/Contus/Abras	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
11	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
12	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Concrete and terrazzo finishers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
13	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Carpenters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
14	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Concrete and terrazzo finishers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
15	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Carpenters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
16	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Cut/Laceration	Carpenters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
17	312770092	Fatality	Fracture	Carpenters	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
18	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Concrete and terrazzo finishers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
19	312770290	Non Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Occupation not reported	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Fatality Cause:
20	312770092	Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Concrete and terrazzo finishers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Pouring or installing floor decks Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure

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