Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119643872 - Dcf Concrete

Inspection Information - Office: Fremont District Office

Investigation Summary

On January 9, 2003, a renovation project was taking place at Westfield Oakridge Mall. Two companies were involved in an incident that occurred. DCF Concrete (DCF) was laying the footings for the steel erection that was being completed by California Erectors (CE). Several columns had been erected and some were tied to headers. It had been raining over the past few weeks and there was standing water in the low spots on this job. Three DCF employees went to the portable plans desk to review the plans to see how many more footings and anchor bolts they would need to finish the mornings' work. The plans desk looks like a cabinet, but when the door is lifted in front, a desk is exposed and employees can work on it. The desk was located between two large storage containers and two previously laid footings. The footing to the west had not yet been used, but CE employees had bolted a column to the footing to the east. The CE employees stated that they placed anchor nuts on three of the four anchor bolts on the column the day before. Three nuts is reported to be standard practice for EC on single floor columns. The crane operator, under the direction of the CE flag man, brought a header beam to the column located to the east of the DCF employees. The header struck against the column near the top and the column started to sway, then tip in the direction of the three DCF employees. One of the three employees started running away, but the column hit the door of the plans desk. All three DCF employees were knocked to the ground. One employee sustained a broken neck and some paralysis. The base of the column was in a low spot and had been covered in standing water making it hard to see the number of anchor bolts. Upon investigation, it was discovered that there were only two nuts on the west-side of the footing, and both bolts on the east-side of the footing pulled through the holes on the base of the column.

Keywords: BEAM, STRUCTURE MOVING, FRACTURE, HEAD, CONSTRUCTION, NECK, STRUCK BY