Inspection Detail

Inspection: 122042971 - Superior Masonry Builders Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Milwaukee Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on February 7, 1996, Employees #1 through #5, bricklayers, and Employees #6 and #7, laborers, were veneering a concrete block wall with brick while standing on the platform of a 16 tower (8 pairs) Morgan scaffold approximately 24 ft from the ground. The scaffold towers were erected to a height of 27 ft in three 9 ft sections. Seven masonry wall anchors were placed in the veneer portion of the wall 16 ft above the ground at 15 ft horizontal intervals (every other tower). Because of a lack of stiff arm braces, only five of the seven anchors were used, leaving four towers at the north end unanchored. Three anchors on the north end were concrete block to brick wall ties using #6 wire and were not designed for this type of application. The typical notched flat stock anchors were not installed properly because regular non-cut nails were used. The employer also failed to anchor every tower at 9 ft vertical intervals as required for enclosed scaffolds. The working platform was enclosed with a plastic canopy open to the wall on the west end of the scaffold. As the platform was raised above the offset roof eave line, a 32 mph wind gust from the west-southwest tipped the north tower east. As the tower fell, it struck thirteen other towers that all collapsed. All five anchors in use were pulled from the wall. Employees #1 through #7 fell to the ground, sustaining fractures to the head, face, pelvis, ankle, knee, and arm, as well as lacerations and bruises. They were hospitalized.

Keywords: ANCHOR, FRACTURE, HIGH WIND, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, SCAFFOLD COLLAPSE, BRACING, TOWER, SCAFFOLD