Inspection Detail

Inspection: 100105790 - Spancrete Industries Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Milwaukee Area Office

Investigation Summary

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:15 PM ON JANUARY 9, 1987, EMPLOYEE #1 WAS PLACING A 48 INCH WIDE, 8 INCH THICK, 38 FOOT LONG PRECAST CONCRETE PLANK ONTO PRECAST CONCRETE BEAMS. ONE BEAM WAS 30 INCHES WIDE, 16 INCHES THICK AND 31 FEET LONG. THE OTHER BEAM WAS OF AN INVERTED "T" CONFIGURATION AND 40 INCHES WIDE, 24 INCHES THICK AND 30 1/2 FEET LONG. A 5 INCH X 8 1/8 INCH NOTCH RAN THE LENGTH OF THE BEAM AT EACH UPPER CORNER. EACH BEAM WAS SUPPORTED BY COLUMNS, 16 X 16 INCHES AND 20 FEET HIGH. THESE PLANKS WERE TO FORM THE UPPER, OR ROOF, DECK OF THE BUILDING. A MEZZANINE FLOOR, OF PRECAST PLANK RESTING ON CONCRETE BLOCK WALLS, HAD BEEN SET EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE MEZZANINE FLOOR WAS DIRECTLY BELOW THE PLANK BEING PLACED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS LOCATED ON THE ROOF PLANK. EMPLOYEES #2 AND #3 WERE BENEATH THE MEZZANINE DECK, AT GROUND LEVEL, INSTALLING SEWER PIPE IN A 3 FOOT DEEP TRENCH. FIVE CONCRETE PLANKS WERE PLACED ON THE ROOF LEVEL. ALL WERE PLACED ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE INVERTED "T" BEAM. THIS CAUSED THE "T" BEAM TO ROLL TOWARD THE WEIGHTED SIDE AND OFF THE SUPPORT COLUMN. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS CRUSHED BY THE "T" BEAM AS IT FELL. EMPLOYEE #2 AND #3 WERE BURIED BY THE MEZZANINE PLANKING THAT ALSO COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE FALLING ROOF PLANK AND BEAM. EMPLOYEE #2 SUFFERED A FRACTURED LEG. EMPLOYEE #3 SUSTAINED A BACK STRAIN. BEING IN THE 3 FOOT TRENCH PROBABLY SAVED THEIR LIVES. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS KILLED AS THE "T" BEAM STRUCK HIM AS IT FELL, CRUSHING HIS BACK FROM THE SHOULDER TO PELVIC AREA.

Keywords: FRACTURE, COLLAPSE, CONSTRUCTION, BACK, CRUSHED, STRUCK BY, FALLING OBJECT, LEG, UNSTABLE POSITION