Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: CRUSHING

Labor and Employment Article, Section 5-104(a): The employer did not furnish emp loyment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that w ere causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees: (a)D ate of Violation:05/23/13 Location:Parking Garage Level 2 Condition:Employees wo rking in a parking garage were exposed to struck by and crushing hazards during the process of jacking, shoring and skating of a pre-stressed concrete double te e. On or about May 23, 2013, employees were jacking a pre-stressed concrete double tee measuring 9 feet wide and 60 feet long and weighing approxim ately 42,800 pounds. Eight independent shoring towers, four for jacking and four for shoring/skating, were used to raise the double tee. When the extension fram es were installed, with their posts inside the posts of the base frames, and the extension frames were raised 2 or more feet above the base frame, diagonal goos er braces were not installed as per the instructions of the manufacturer of the shoring towers. In addition placement of an 8 inch high spacer beam between the double tee stem and the upper W8 by 10 beam weakened the rigidity of the upper s upport system on top of the shoring/skating towers in the north-south direction. The single re-jacking at the SE jacking tower also significantly increased the vertical load at the NW shoring/skating tower. As a result of the above three fa ctors, the upper support system of the NW shoring/skating tower failed and initi ated the partial collapse, resulting in the death of one employee and serious injuries to another. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard would be to fol low the manufacturer's requirements, in the Safway Adjust-A-Shore Heavy Duty Sho ring instructions, by installing gooser braces when an extension frame is raised two or more feet above the base frame; also follow recognized and generally acc epted good engineering practices by using a bigger beam, (W8 by 31 rather than t he W8 by 10 beam that was used); or to weld stiffener plates to the flanges and web at the load locations. Abatement documentation (photographs, receipts, copie s of programs, training certification, etc.) is required for this item.