Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309552784 - Milestone Engineering & Construction, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Concord Area Office

Investigation Summary

At about 6:00 p.m. on July 28, 2006, Employees #1, #2, and #3 were working on a renovation project at the North Congregational Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They were installing a scaffold system, which consisted of the top seven tiers of the fabricated scaffold system that surrounded the spire on the church. The uprights measured 6 ft 5 in. in height. Each tier had four sections of scaffold surrounding the spire, for a total height of 44 ft 11 in. with twenty eight sections. At approximately 4:47 p.m. the high winds and a thunderstorm were approaching the Portsmouth area. At 5:48 p.m. heavy rain and thunderstorm, as well as high winds up to 36.8 mph continued. Just before 6:00 p.m. the tower and the scaffold collapsed. Portions of the spire and scaffold fell and landed in South-West direction on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Employees #1, #2, and #3 were not injured.

Keywords: HIGH WIND, COLLAPSE, CONSTRUCTION, TOWER, SCAFFOLD