Inspection Detail

Inspection: 317081651 - The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On May 23, 2013 at approximately 1:45 p.m., Employees # 1 and #2 of Whiting Turner Contracting Company were injured when a pre-stressed concrete double tee partially collapsed while it was being jacked; Employee #2 was fatally injured. The project consisted of constructing new floors at the top of the existing Westlake Garage, west of the Macy Department Store, at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The construction was in its early stages. The construction of new floors required erection of a tower crane in the middle of the existing garage. An opening was therefore being made by removing two existing double tees on the roof and another two at the second floor, which would provide an opening for the crane. The two double tees on the roof were safely removed by a mobile crane and stored at a nearby location within the project site. The roof double tees were not to be reused. However, the two double tees at the second floor were to be reused, and, therefore, were to be removed by hydraulic jacking and skating method. One of the double tees at the second floor was successfully removed. During the attempted removal of the second double tee, a spacer beam above experienced failure, and one employee was asked to jack up the SE corner of the double tee to correct the condition and replace the beam. No blocking or cribbing was used. During this procedure, the double tee suddenly shifted and fell from the SE hydraulic jack, killing one employee and catching the arm of another. The double tee was 60' long and 9' wide, with a depth of 2' 3" and a slab thickness of 4", the weight of the double tee was approximately 42,800 pounds.

Keywords: COLLAPSE, JACK, CRANE