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The blame game in construction site accidents: A case study

Construction sites are inherently dangerous and unpredictable places. That’s why sticking to your own role on a construction site is crucial for safety and efficiency. Each team member is trained for specific tasks and deviating from assigned responsibilities can lead to errors, accidents, or delays in the construction process.

One of our clients, whom I shall call Raymond, learned this to his cost when he suffered a serious brain injury after a heavy metal object fell three storeys from the roof of a building under construction and struck him on the head.

The accident

The main contractor of the project (MC) had subcontracted the installation of the building’s pipework to another company (SC1), who subcontracted the task of surveying and coordinating the installation to our client’s employer (SC2).

Our client, a computer-aided draftsman, was instructed by his employer to lay out markings for the pipework that was to be installed on the roof. On his way to do as instructed, he stopped to help two of his colleagues. They were working at ground level, slinging the brackets for the pipework that were to be lifted to the roof by rope and a gin wheel pulley system.

Our client helped sling brackets onto the gin wheel system and after a couple of successful lifts, he slung one more bracket. As the bracket was being hoisted towards the roof it came loose from its sling and fell, striking our client (who was not wearing a safety helmet) on the head and causing him a devasting injury.

Determining responsibility

We argued the main contractor and both subcontractors were responsible. Between them they had failed, among other things, to properly plan, carry out and monitor the operation to lift the pipework brackets to the roof, failed to give appropriate training, failed to prevent the bracket falling, failed to prevent our client entering beneath the gin wheel pulley stem, and failed to ensure hard hats were worn.

All three defendants denied responsibility, saying our client should not have entered the site without completing a site induction, that it was not his task to assist with lifting the metal brackets – a task for which he was not trained and which he not been instructed to do, that he should have been wearing a hard hat, that a crane, not a pulley lift should have been used to lift the metal brackets and that, ultimately, our client was responsible for his injuries, being plainly careless for his own safety.

The impact of the injury

Raymond’s injuries were devasting. The metal bracket fractured his skull and penetrated his brain leaving him with physical, cognitive, and visual disabilities, and depriving him of his capacity to work or live independently. Although he received some support from the local authority, this ceased after a short time, leaving him reliant on his mother for all his care needs.

Navigating the legal landscape

The law governing work on construction sites is complex and regulations designed to protect the health and safety of construction site workers are extensive. It’s essential solicitors representing injured construction site workers are specialists in this field, to know their way around the law and the regulations and understand how those regulations play out in practice, particularly when multiple contractors and subcontractors blame one another, as well as the injured worker.

It’s also essential solicitors who act for those who sustain severe brain injuries understand the impact such injuries have on the individual concerned, as well as on their family, and take steps to put in place the urgent rehabilitation that is central to an injured person’s recovery and quality of life.

Despite all three defendants denying responsibility, we obtained a substantial early interim payment to provide Raymond with vital early rehabilitation. We helped Raymond appoint a case manager, who coordinated therapies, including hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and, neuro-occupational therapy, and recruited a support worker. Through the interim payment, Raymond bought a powered wheelchair to access vital early rehabilitation. Worries about finances and care were also eased, and this allowed Raymond and his family to have more quality time together.

The main contractor and the subcontractors, including Raymond’s employer, argued among themselves, and eventually settled Raymond’s claim for a substantial £6.5 million, ensuring his lifelong care needs will be met and his future is financially secure.

Lessons learned

Raymond learned the hard way that:

• Safety comes first : Always prioritise safety on construction sites. This includes wearing appropriate safety gear, such as hard hats, always.
• Protocols are to be followed : Stick to your assigned tasks and responsibilities. Deviating from these can lead to accidents, as it did in Raymond’s case.
• Proper training is essential : Ensure all workers are properly trained for their specific tasks. In Raymond’s case, he was not trained to assist with lifting the metal brackets.
• Communication must be clear : Clear and effective communication is crucial, especially when multiple contractors and subcontractors are involved.

How can we help?

Instructing solicitors who understand the complex laws and regulations governing construction sites is essential, especially when determining responsibility for an accident. In cases of severe injury, such as a severe brain injury, early rehabilitation is vital for recovery and quality of life. As seen in Raymond’s case, specialist solicitors, such as those in the Adult Brain Injury Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp will be prepared for denials of responsibility and persist in pursuing a claim for compensation, securing essential funds at an early stage to ease the immediate financial and carer burdens, and will stop at nothing to achieve the best possible settlement for our clients.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious brain injury on a construction site, contact our experienced and approachable solicitors in the Adult Brain Injury Team. They will listen to your story, free and without obligation, and let you know if they can help.

By Hokman Wong

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Construction Incidents Investigation Engineering Reports

This webpage includes forensic engineering investigation reports of catastrophic incidents conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Directorate of Construction – Office of Engineering Services. Many of these incidents resulted in one or more worker fatalities, and property loss, lawsuits, or settlements of millions of dollars. Each investigation was performed at the request of an OSHA field office or State Plan OSHA as part of an enforcement inspection. These reports may include professional opinions of the investigating engineer; incident root cause opinions; factual data; and findings.

These investigative reports were prepared to assist the OSHA field office or State Plan OSHA. The alleged violations of standards referenced in the reports are findings and recommendations of the investigating engineer to assist the requesting office. The violations and findings recommended in the report does not constitute an OSHA violation of a specific party named in the report. The OSHA field office or State Plan OSHA may issue the recommended violation; additional and/or different violations of standards to the appropriate party. The final resolution of the enforcement case may result in changes to the initial proposed alleged violation(s).

The intent of these reports is to help employers, workers, construction engineers, project managers, and regulatory bodies identify problems in construction design, project management, and management of field engineering changes. Hopefully, this information will help reduce future incidents, fatalities, and serious injuries.

The web-version of the report may not include all photographs, schematics, computations, tables, figures, and other non-text items. Otherwise, the text of each report is identical to the original report. The report is maintained as part of the OSHA enforcement case file in the appropriate Area Office or State Plan.

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May 2022: Investigation of the November 8, 2021, Partial Collapse of Wood Roof Trusses during Construction of Dollar General Store, Orange City, Florida

Wood roof trusses collapsed during installation and fell onto the ground floor where a Dollar General store was under construction. The roof framing consisted of 66 wood piggyback base trusses spanning 70 feet. Two employees were injured after falling approximately 12 feet and a third employee cutting lumber inside the building, was fatally crushed by the falling trusses.

December 2021: Investigation of the April 14, 2021, Collapse of a Bridge Span under Demolition, Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, Dare County, NC

The last span of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge (Bonner Bridge) under demolition collapsed in Dare County, North Carolina. An employee engaged in the steel cutting, was killed. The collapsed span was the navigation span of the Bonner Bridge measuring 180 feet long, 24 feet wide, and approximately 60 feet above sea level.

July 2020: Investigation of the January 10, 2020, Scaffold Collapse in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Three employees were working on a scaffold attached on the fourth floor of a hotel, when the cables supporting the scaffold suddenly failed and the scaffold collapsed. The scaffold, approximately 17 feet long and 15 feet wide, was attached to the building and was being used to transfer materials into the building. At the time of the collapse, the employees were moving materials from the scaffold into the building. The employees and materials fell 10 feet to the concrete floor below resulting in three employees being injured.

July 2019: Investigation of March 15, 2018 Pedestrian Bridge Collapse at Florida International University, Miami, FL

A pedestrian bridge under construction collapsed and fell over the SW 8th Street near SW 109th Avenue in Miami, Florida. The bridge was being constructed to connect the FIU campus with the City of Sweetwater. The bridge, at this stage of construction, consisted of a single concrete truss spanning approximately 174 feet and weighed approximately 930 tons. The concrete bridge was cast at a nearby off-site location and then transported to its final location. At the time of the collapse, motorists were waiting underneath the bridge for the traffic light. One employee and five motorists were fatally injured, and another employee permanently disabled.

October 2018: Investigation of the April 19, 2018, Communication Tower Collapse in Fordland, Missouri.

The project involved the reinforcement of the KOZK 1,891-foot-tall guyed communication tower just north of Fordland, Missouri. The tower required structural modifications to support the transmission line replacement. However, the suggested diagonal replacement procedure was flawed in that it compromised the effectiveness of the integrated surrounding braces and the load bearing capacity of the tower legs. At the time of the collapse, contractor was performing structural modifications to the tower.

September 2018: Investigation of the Failures of Three Hammerhead Cranes on September 10, 2017, in Miami and Fort Lauderdale in the Wake of Hurricane Irma.

Three hammerhead tower cranes collapsed within hours of each other; two in Miami and one in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., during heavy winds in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The three cranes were the same model SK-315. There was another SK 315 model crane that did not collapse which was at a much lower height and was shielded by tall structures. There were Terex manufactured cranes other than SK 315 in the area which did not fail. The crane jibs detached from their turntables due to turbulent wind and the cranes failed.

June 2018: Investigation of the Trench Collapse at I-95 on February 4, 2018, in Miami, FL

To repair a damaged or misaligned buried drainage pipe, the employees were hand-digging a trench besides a newly installed concrete barrier, more than 130 feet long. The concrete barrier collapsed into the trench while the employees were digging the trench. Two employees in the trench were killed.

February 2018: Investigation of the September 27, 2017, Gin Pole Collapse at an Antenna Tower in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Three employees were engaged in installing a new antenna for a local TV station at the top of a 951-foot tall antenna tower constructed in 2009. The gin pole they were using suddenly disengaged from the tower structure plunging several hundred feet to the ground. The employees were tied to the gin pole and fell with it and were killed. The cause of the disengagement was the failure of attachment between the gin pole and the tower structure.

April 2017: Investigation of the October 19, 2016, Collapse of Two Scaffold Platforms during Climbing in Miami, Florida.

Two scaffolds, known as Doka Xclimb 60 loading platforms, collapsed and several pieces of debris from the platform fell to the ground from the 48th floor of a high-rise residential building under construction in downtown Miami. The contractor was hydraulically climbing two scaffolds together, from the 47th floor to 48th floor and both scaffolds failed.

February 2017: Investigation of the September 1, 2016, Formwork Table Collapse in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A formwork table being installed for pouring concrete for construction of a multistory residential building failed and collapsed. The crews were installing the formwork tables on the 15th level. One of the employees fell to the ground along with the failed formwork table and was killed.

January 2017: Investigation of the July 19, 2016 Crane Collapse during Pile Driving for New Tappan Zee Bridge over Hudson River, Rockland County, NY.

A Manitowoc MLC300 crawler crane engaged in driving piles with a vibratory hammer for the construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge collapsed and fell over the existing Tappan Zee Bridge. The incident occurred on the Rockland County side. The 256 foot-long boom of the crane fell over the existing bridge (north and southbound lanes of Interstate I-87/I-287).

August 2016: April 15, 2016 Double Tee Collapse at the Miami-Dade College West Campus Parking Garage, Doral, FL.

Miami-Dade College (MDC) decided to demolish the parking garage involved in 2012 incident and to build a new structure. During the construction of the replacement garage, two precast double tee beams collapsed on the fourth level of the new parking garage.

July 2016: Investigation of the February 5, 2016 Crane Collapse at 40 Worth Street, New York, NY

A Liebherr crawler crane, approximately 570 ft. high, collapsed in lower Manhattan, killing one motorist. The crane operator was attempting to lay down the crane in high wind when the crane suddenly collapsed and overturned. The crane had a luffing jib, 371 ft. long and a 194 ft. long boom. There was no load on either the boom or the jib hooks.

February 2016: Investigation of the September 9, 2015 Collapse of Aircraft Hangar No. 14 at Newark International Airport, Newark, NJ

At Newark Liberty International Airport, aircraft hangar no. 14, undergoing demolition, unexpectedly collapsed. The building was largely used for storage and no airplanes were parked inside the hangar. The contractor made numerous cuts on columns contrary to the consultant’s instructions and these additional cuts compromised the stability of the structure.

August 2015: Investigation of the March 23, 2015 Mast Climbing Scaffold Collapse during Dismantling at Raleigh, NC

A 12-story steel framed building with concrete floor slabs was under construction and the exterior of the building was to be clad with glass curtain walls. The construction was almost complete on March 23, 2015 when during the disassembly, one of the mast climbing work platforms collapsed. The mast supporting the platform partially collapsed. At the time of the incident, there were four employees on the platform perched near the 9th floor. All four fell to the ground with the falling mast and platform. Three were killed and the fourth fell on the roof of a portable toilet, and suffered severe injuries.

May 2015: Investigation of the January 19, 2015 Collapse of Bridge onto Southbound Interstate I-75 During Demolition in Cincinnati, OH

A construction incident occurred on Monday, January 19, 2015 near downtown Cincinnati at approximately 10:30 p.m. when the center and east spans of a ramp bridge being demolished suddenly fell 15-20 feet onto southbound interstate I-75 south freeway, killing a foreman and injuring the excavator operator. At the time of the incident, concrete slab was being removed from the deck of the ramp as a part of the demolition of the Hopple Street Ramp Bridge. The demolition work began a day earlier but had to be stopped due to concerns about some steel girders lifting off their bearings. Work resumed after the remedial measures recommended by the engineers were carried out. Those measures proved inadequate, and the incident occurred.

April 2015: Investigation of the November 13 and 14, 2014 Collapses of Two Pedestrian Bridges under Construction at Wake Technical Community College Campus, Raleigh, NC

On November 13, 2014 at approximately 10:30 a.m., a pedestrian bridge under construction at the Wake Technical Community College at the Northern Wake Campus, Raleigh, North Carolina, suddenly collapsed killing a worker. Four employees were injured. At the time of the collapse, concrete was being poured on the metal deck to provide the walking surface. A few hours later, another similar bridge, also under construction, within a block of the first incident, collapsed at approximately 12:30 a.m. in the middle of the following night. No one was injured in the second incident. No construction activities were going on during the second incident. Both bridges were part of the expansion of the Northern Wake campus which was well underway.

March 2015: Investigation of the December 30, 2014 incident at Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant, Claycomo, MO

A fatal incident occurred on December 30, 2014 at approximately 8:30 a.m. at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant (KCAP) in Claycomo, MO. The incident happened when the welds on a bracket holding a safety pin supporting the weight of a carriage suddenly failed, causing the carriage to slip off the pin and fall, pinning an employee who was working below the carriage.

October 2014: Investigation of the May 4, 2014 incident at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey performance in Providence, RI

During the "Hair Hang Act" at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus show in Providence, RI, eight performers were suspended from their hair with their bodies free to dance in a choreographed acrobatic manner. Suddenly, during the act, the metal apparatus supporting the performers plummeted to the floor. Two of the performers sustained critical injuries. In total, there were injuries to nine employees. This incident occurred because the carabiner used to support the performers failed due to being improperly loaded.

August 2014: Investigation of the March 25, 2014 Failure of Gin Pole Rigging, and Collapse of Cellular Towers at Blaine, KS

On March 25, 2014, two communication towers owned by Union Pacific Railroad (Railroad) collapsed in Blaine, KS, killing two workers. The project consisted of dismantling an older communication tower with all its appurtenances (e.g., antennas, dishes, coaxial cables, etc.). The older tower was located next to a recently constructed tower. At the time of the incident, a gin pole was being raised on the older tower to lower a 10 ft. diameter dish when the rigging of the gin pole suddenly failed causing the 60 ft. tall gin pole to plummet down, resulting in the collapse of both the towers. One employee was situated approximately 20 ft. below the top on the older 250 ft. high tower and was engaged in disconnecting the 10 ft. diameter dish and another employee was on the same tower approximately 80 ft. from the top. One worker died at the scene and the other was pronounced dead at the hospital. There were two additional employees at the site who were not injured.

July 2014: Investigation of the February 1, 2014 Collapse of a Telecommunication Tower at the Summit Park Community in Clarksburg, WV

On February 1, 2014, at approximately 11:37 a.m., a 340 ft.-high guyed telecommunication tower (cell tower), suddenly collapsed during upgrading/construction activities. Four employees were working on the tower removing its diagonals. In the process, no temporary supports were installed. As a result of the tower's collapse, two employees were killed and two others were badly injured. The cell tower fell onto the guy wires of an adjacent smaller cell tower and caused it to collapse, killing a firefighter while he was rescuing the injured employees on the ground. The collapse of the smaller tower is not covered in this investigation.

July 2014: Structural Investigation of the January 20, 2014 Plant Collapse at International Nutrition Facility in Omaha, NE

A massive collapse occurred at a plant producing nutritional supplements for animal feed. There were nine bins each 8 ft. x 8 ft. x 27 ft. high, framed over the roof of the building. During filling of one of the bins with lime stone, the supporting structure collapsed and the entire plant had to be shut down. The facility was originally constructed around 1972. Two employees were killed and thirteen others were injured.

April 2014: Investigation of the November 2, 2013 collapse of concrete beams at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport runway project

On November 2, 2013, at approximately 1:30 p.m. an incident occurred at the construction site of the runway expansion project of Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when five precast concrete beams fell off their bearings, and an additional five beams slid off their bearings but remained over the concrete bents. The beams fell some 25 feet onto the railroad tracks owned by Florida East Coast Railways which operates trains multiple times a day hauling commodities across Florida. The beams were placed just a couple of days earlier and were to support the actual runway consisting of a post-tensioned concrete slab. One employee sustained minor injuries but the potential for multiple fatalities was very obvious.

March 2014: Investigation of the November 13, 2013 collapse of precast walls at a garage construction site, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

On November 13, 2013 an incident occurred at the construction site of a parking garage in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where two precast walls weighing about 34 tons each suddenly fell. The walls were erected less than an hour before they fell. Two employees sustained injuries although this incident could have resulted in multiple fatalities. The parking garage was being constructed as a part of a larger project to construct new rental apartment buildings. The entire complex was called RD Flagler Village.

October 2013: Investigation of the May 23, 2013 Partial Collapse of a Prestressed Concrete Double Tee at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD

A construction incident occurred on May 23, 2013, at approximately 1:45 p.m., when a prestressed concrete double tee partially collapsed while it was being jacked, killing one employee and injuring another. The double tee was 60 ft. long and 9 ft. wide, with a depth of 2 ft. 3 in. and a slab thickness of 4 inches. The weight of the double tee was approximately 42,800 pounds. The incident site was the Westlake Garage of the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD.

October 2013: Investigation of the May 28, 2013 failure of gin pole rigging at a cell tower in Georgetown, MS

On May 28, 2013, a construction incident occurred at the site of Verizon Wireless cell tower in Georgetown, MS. The 300 ft. high cell tower was being equipped with a gin pole to replace the old antennas with new ones. While the gin pole, approximately 40 ft. tall was being raised, the rigging of the gin pole block suddenly failed, killing two workers located on the tower.

August 2013: Investigation of the March 31, 2013 Temporary Overhead Crane Collapse at Arkansas Nuclear One Power Plant in London/Russellville, AR

An incident occurred on March 31, 2013 inside the turbine building of Unit 1 at the Arkansas Nuclear One power plant in London/Russellville, AR. During the scheduled refueling outage of Unit 1, it was pre-planned to replace the turbine stator. While the old turbine stator was being removed and transported to the trailer deck, the temporary overhead crane supporting the old stator suddenly failed and collapsed, killing an employee. Eight other employees were injured. The turbine stator weighed over a million pounds.

July 2013: Investigation of the April 18, 2013 Partial Collapse of a Masonry Wall during construction of the Goodwill Retail Store in Hendersonville, TN

On April 18, 2013, partial collapse of a masonry wall occurred during construction of the Goodwill Retail Store in Hendersonville, TN. As a result of the wall collapse, two employees were killed and one was injured. The investigation and evaluation were based on the information provided by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the State of Tennessee. The project consisted of construction of a one-story Goodwill Retail Store, approximately 170 ft. wide x 180 ft. long.

March 2013: Investigation of the October 10, 2012 Parking Garage Collapse during Construction at Miami Dade College, Doral, FL

A portion of the parking garage under construction suddenly collapsed, trapping and killing four employees and injuring three others. The six-story garage was 305 ft. x 390 ft., and 62 ft. high and was being constructed with precast concrete structural members. The collapse occurred over an area of 122 ft. by 132 ft. The heavy fallen concrete pieces weighed approximately 3,300 tons.

February 2013: Investigation of the September 6, 2012 Partial Collapse of a Slab during Construction at Hyatt Place, Omaha, NE

On September 6, 2012 at approximately 5:00 a.m., a partial collapse of the second level slab occurred during construction of the 159-room, ten-story building, Hyatt Place Hotel in Omaha, NE. At the time of the collapse, the northwest section of the second level was being placed with fresh concrete over the formwork. Twenty-five employees were working with the wet concrete. Six of them on the formwork fell 10 to 18 feet below to the ground level. Three employees were injured.

December 2012: Investigation of the September 10, 2012 Partial Collapse of a Building under Construction at 227 Carlton Avenue in Brooklyn, NY

The building under construction consisted of five townhouses, each four stories high. The structure consisted of load-bearing masonry walls with cold-formed steel C-joists and metal deck at each floor. At the time of the incident, materials were being delivered to the 4th floor. The front 20 feet of the floor collapsed over the third floor pancaking the floors below. One worker killed, 1 injured.

July 2012: Investigation of the March 22, 2012 Partial Building Collapse during Demolition at 604-606 West 131st Street, New York, NY

The project consisted of demolition of a 1920 built two-story warehouse building as part of Columbia University's expansion. During demolition, the building partially collapsed in an unplanned manner. One employee was killed and two employees were injured. The building was being used as a warehouse and a commercial parking garage.

May 2012: Investigation of November 8, 2011 Partial Collapse of a Building Under Construction at 2929 Brighton 5th Street, Brooklyn, NY

The front bay of the five-story building under construction suddenly collapsed. At the time of the incident, concrete was being pumped to the third floor. The building was a hybrid construction of load-bearing light metal framing with interior steel rolled shaped beams and columns, and masonry walls at the core. One worker killed, 2 injured.

March 2012: Investigation Of The September 7, 2011 Collapse of a Mobile Crane at the National Cathedral Site in Northwest Washington, DC

A 500-ton Liebherr mobile crane collapsed amid thunderstorms and heavy rain while it was being lowered to the ground. The crane's telescopic boom was 152 ft. and the attached lattice jib was 276 ft. long. The crane had been delivering materials over the cathedral building after earthquake damage. The crane tipped, overturned and fell its full length. One worker injured.

January 2012: Investigation of the July 27, 2011 Systems-engineered Metal Building Collapse in San Marcos, TX

A systems-engineered metal building (pre-engineered building) collapsed during construction, killing one worker and injuring another. The project consisted of erecting four buildings, with length varying from 35 ft. to 300 ft. and width varying from 20 ft. to 150 ft. The building unit was intended to be a new manufacturing plant.

October 2011: Investigation of the April 5, 2011 Flow Equalization Basin Wall Collapse at Wastewater Treatment Plant in Gatlinburg, TN

The east wall of the 30 ft. high concrete equalization basin suddenly separated from the rest of the structure under the hydrostatic pressure, and fell over a one story control room structure killing two employees.

August 2011: Investigation of the February 14, 2011 Partial Collapse of a Parking Structure Under Construction in San Antonio, TX

A partially erected precast concrete frame of the 3,300 car parking garage suddenly collapsed. The structural design was hybrid: precast concrete columns and beams, and cast-in-place post-tensioned floors. The collapsed frame was approximately 65' long, 56' wide and 80' high weighing approximately 900 tons. Two workers were injured.

December 2009: Investigation of the June 10, 2009 Mast Climbing Platform Collapse in Austin, Texas

A mast climbing platform partially collapsed at a 21-story concrete framed condominium building under construction. The mast and one half of the platform remained intact. Immediately before the incident, the platform descended from the 13th floor and stopped at the 11th floor when one half of the platform suddenly separated from the main frame (motorized unit) and fell to the seventh floor. Three workers were killed.

June 2009: Investigation of the December 19, 2008 Collapse of Atlanta Botanical Garden Canopy Walkway during Construction in Atlanta, GA

A spirally shaped pedestrian walkway steel bridge approximately 575' long and 11' to 18' wide under construction collapsed. At the time of the incident, concrete was being poured over the bridge deck. The collapse was massive, involving over seventy percent of the bridge. At the time of the collapse, the entire bridge structural frame was being supported over fifteen temporary shoring towers. One worker killed, 18 injured.

January 2009: Investigation of the July 18, 2008 Fatal Collapse of a Deep South Crane at Lyondell Basell Houston Refinery in Pasadena, TX

The crane was assembled at the site with a 420' boom, 240' mast, 61' spar and 836,000 pounds of main counterweight attached to the spar. An additional 836,000 pounds of auxiliary counterweight was to be attached to its pendants suspended from the mast tip at 105' from the axis of the crane. With this configuration, the crane would have a million pound lifting capacity at a maximum boom radius of 160'. The incident occurred during the installation of the auxiliary counterweight. Four workers were killed and 6 injured.

September 2008: Investigation of the March 15, 2008 Fatal Tower Crane Collapse at 303 East 51st Street, New York, NY

A 250 ft. high tower crane in uptown Manhattan, NY collapsed when the polyester slings supporting the suspended collar failed. The collar was positioned around the just "jumped" tower sections and was to be laterally tied to the building under construction to provide lateral support to the crane mast. There were six fatalities and injuries to one person.

May 2008: Investigation of the December 6, 2007 Fatal Parking Garage Collapse at Berkman Plaza 2 in Jacksonville, FL

The incident occurred during the construction of a five-story poured-in-place concrete parking garage. The structural design consisted of cast-in-place one way post-tensioned slabs and post-tensioned beams. The columns were also cast in place. At the time of the incident concrete was being poured on the 6th level. There were no re-shores below the third level. One worker was killed, and 21 injured.

December 2007: Investigation of the June 14, 2007, Incident at U.S. Highway 90 across St. Louis Bay, Pass Christian, MS

The new bridge under construction on U.S. 90 to connect the towns of Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian was to replace a nearby old bridge destroyed by Katrina. The incident occurred when the steel forms of a bridge column suddenly collapsed and fell into the bay while the form was being filled with wet concrete. Nine workers fell with the column into the bay. Two workers were killed.

October 2007: Investigation of the July 13, 2007 Collapse of Roof Trusses in Township of Franklin, NJ

A new medical office building was under construction when the long span wood roof trusses collapsed. The workers erected the trusses a few hours before and were installing temporary and permanent bracings and purlins at the time of the incident. Shortly before the incident, three bundles of 2x6s to be used as purlins and braces were placed over the top chord of the center trusses. Two workers were seriously injured.

February 2007: Investigation of the August 22, 2006 Fatal Excavation Collapse at Red Hook, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

The project, 40,000 square foot retail and office complex with two levels of parking, was in the first phase of construction, i.e., excavation and site stabilization, when the incident occurred. A steep excavated slope, more than 40 foot high suddenly collapsed. The collapsed earth deposits buried a nearby excavator and killed the operator inside the cab.

November 2006: Investigation of the June 3, 2006 Collapse of Grandview Triangle Bridge in Kansas City, MO

The project consisted of demolishing a steel bridge 850 ft. long and 27 ft. wide with twelve spans of varying lengths. The steel girders' depths varied from 48" to 114" and the bridge deck consisted of a 9" thick concrete composite slab. During demolition, two spans collapsed in an unplanned manner, killing one worker and injuring another.

August 2006: Investigation of the March 1, 2006 Collapse of Stripping Platform at San Marco Place, Jacksonville, FL

Two construction workers fell twenty stories to the ground and died when the stripping platform they were working on failed. The incident occurred during the construction of a 22-story condominium building. The platform was supported on structural framing resting on the 19th floor concrete slab and on the underside of the 20th floor slab. There were three other employees on the platform at the time of the failure, but they were able to hang onto the railing and the net, and were rescued.

February 2006: Investigation of the August 3, 2005 Collapse of Roof Trusses at Natatorio de, San Juan, PR

The project consisted of construction of a large, one-story concrete and steel structure for an indoor swimming and diving pool with bleachers. The roof trusses were curved and spanned 190 feet and weighed approximately 80,000 pounds. The incident involved the collapse of three long span steel roof trusses and several steel bar joists that fell approximately 50 feet to the ground. Two workers were killed, 2 injured.

December 2004: Investigation of the July 22, 2004 Collapse of a Building, Tranquility at Hobe Sound, Hobe Sound, FL

The project consisted of ten 3-story buildings to construct 82 townhouses. Tunnel forms were used by the construction team for casting concrete on the floors and in the walls. The incident occurred while concrete was being poured on the third floor of one building. A portion of the building collapsed killing two workers and injuring three others. The building was approximately 53 ft. wide and 150 ft. long.

April 2004: Investigation of October 30, 2003 Fatal Parking Garage Collapse at the Tropicana Casino Resort, Atlantic City, NJ

A parking garage, part of the Tropicana Casino and Resort expansion project collapsed during construction. The ten-story parking garage was designed as a cast in place concrete structure with precast floor filigree system. At the time of the incident, concrete was being cast on the 8th level. The collapse resulted in the failure of five levels of an exterior bay. Four workers were killed and 20 injured.

January 2004: Investigation of the September 4, 2003 Collapse of the 1000-foot High TV Antenna Tower in Huntsville, AL

The 1,000 ft. guyed tower was being modified to add a new HDTV antenna and additional equipment. Installation of horizontal braces and replacing the top 14 ft. with a new 6 ft. tower section were to be undertaken. The crew had positioned a track and a gin pole on one face of the tower as a means to hoist the new antenna. The load line was attached to a block on the tower some thirty feet above the base. As the load line was tensioned, the tower collapsed killing three employees.

December 2003: Investigation of the July 23, 2003 Collapse of Custom Cantilever Finishing Platform in Panama City, FL

Four employees were placing grout bags and other materials on the cantilever section of the scaffold at the Hathaway Bridge construction site in Panama City, FL. As the grout bags were placed on the cantilever section, the scaffold suddenly failed, causing the employees to fall into the water. One worker was killed, 3 injured.

March 2003: Investigation of the September 24, 2002 Collapse of the 1965-foot High KDUH-TV Antenna Tower in Hemingford, NE

The 1965-foot high -KDUH-TV antenna tower was under contract to replace certain tower diagonals and struts to support a new high-definition TV antenna and other equipment. The tower consisted of 63 sections, each 30-foot high. The crew was replacing existing diagonals with new diagonals when the tower collapsed. Three workers were killed.

February 2003: Investigation of the October 24, 2001 Fatal Collapse of Two Scaffold Towers at 215 Park Avenue South in New York, NY

Two 142 ft. high scaffold towers collapsed, killing five workers and injuring 10 others. The towers were erected to provide a working platform for the facade renovation of a 1914 era 20-story steel framed masonry building. The face bricks and steel window lintels had already been removed from the 6th to the 14th floors and the cement plastering work was being done. At the time of the incident, two workers were manually hoisting a cement bag to the top of the scaffold tower.

December 2002: Investigation of the August 1, 2002 Collapse of Roadside Billboard During Erection in Snellville, GA

The project consisted of fabrication and erection of structural steel framing consisting of round steel pipes to support two billboard signs, on the two opposite faces, each weighing approximately 5,400 pounds. The workers engaged in electrical and bill board installation were finishing the newly erected sign. The billboard structural framing suddenly collapsed killing all three workers and crushing the cars parked below.

September 2002: Investigation of the August 5, 2002 Collapse of Tilt-Up Precast Concrete Wall Panels in Greensboro, NC

A tilt-up concrete wall 23' high and 20' wide, weighing 40,000 pounds, suddenly collapsed crushing three workers. The structure comprised of steel framing with steel columns, steel joist girders, joists and tilt-up wall panels on the perimeter.

December 2001: Investigation of the June 20, 2001 Partial Collapse of the Mast Climbing Platform at Cambridge, MA

The project consisted of construction of a six-story parking garage. The 55-foot long mast climbing platform consisted of 20 foot fixed platform plus extensions on either side supported in the center by a single mast. Three sections, each 5-foot long were installed on one side, and four sections were installed on the other side. The side, which had four sections collapsed. 3 workers were injured.

May 2000: Investigation of the December 16, 1999 Fatal Collapse of a Reinforcing Steel Cage at the Pier WB-12 of I-895 Bridge in Richmond, Virginia

A 44 ft. tall reinforcing steel cage weighing 80 tons fell over and killed one of the two workers working near the top of the cage. The deceased worker was caught between the collapsing reinforcing cage and the concrete footing surface. At the time of the incident, the two workers were installing horizontal ties. The wind at the time of the incident was about 25 mph.

April 1998: Investigation of the October 23, 1997 Collapse of the 1889-foot High TV Antenna Tower in Raymond, MS

The 1889-foot high antenna tower consisting of 64 sections, each 30 feet high, was being rehabilitated by replacing selected horizontal and diagonal members and guy wires. The workers were 1480' above the base replacing existing diagonal members when the tower collapsed. Three workers were killed.

January 1998: Investigation of the July 31, 1997 Collapse of the Parking Garage Steel Framing at the Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon

Construction was underway at the Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon to add four additional levels of parking to transform the existing two-story precast concrete parking garage into a seven level parking structure. Two partially completed bays of structural steel, most of which were erected the same day, collapsed killing three ironworkers.

March 1997: Investigation of the October 12, 1996 Collapse of a 1500-Feet High Antenna Tower in Cedar Hill, TX

A 1462 feet high antenna tower, collapsed while "jumping" a gin pole with a track near the top of the tower to replace an existing antenna. The workers fell to the ground with the falling sections of the tower. Three workers were killed.

June 1996: Structural Collapse at the Olympic Swimming Venue, Atlanta, Georgia. March 18, 1996

A steel structure under construction 176 ft. x 312 ft. and 130 ft. high collapsed at the construction site for the Olympic Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The structure, was an addition to the existing pool structure. Just prior to the collapse, the steel erection crew had erected a steel frame and a pair of steel joists spanning 176 ft. from an existing structure to the erected steel frame. The failure occurred within 15 to 30 minutes after the crane was released from the paired joists. The incident did not result in any injuries.

June 1995: Collapse of a Mast Climbing Work Platform (Scaffold) in Miami, FL. March 4, 1995

The building project under construction was a 31-story condominium complex. Five employees were applying stucco to the fascia walls when the platform of a mast climbing work platform (scaffold) collapsed. Three employees were on a modified cantilever deck section, which was connected to platform extensions attached to the main platform. The cantilever deck failed and as a result, the three employees fell about 75 feet where they were fatally injured. The other two employees working on the platform, were able to grab and hold on to the structure, and sustained only minor injuries.

October 1994: Investigation of the June 6, 1994 Collapse of a Radio Tower in Selma, Alabama

A 350 ft. high guyed radio transmission tower collapsed during the final phase of its construction. Three FM antennas were already hoisted and fastened to the top sections of the tower. On the day of the incident, two workers positioned near the top section of the tower were beginning to lower the gin pole from the top section of the tower to the ground. The gin pole suddenly dropped and struck the coaxial cable, followed by the collapse of the tower. Both workers, who were tied to the collapsing tower, fell to the ground, resulted in the death of one worker and serious injuries to the other. The tower structure consisted of 25 pre-fabricated steel sections, each 10 ft. or 20 ft. in height.

December 1992: Investigation of July 20, 1992 Offshore Drilling Accident, Massachusetts Bay, Massachusetts

A pile top drill unit and a 206 feet long pipe casing, 68-inch diameter suddenly dropped 25 feet into the soft ocean sediment bed as the crane of the jack-up barge was releasing a 80 ton bottom hole assembly onto the platform of the drill unit. The fall of the drill unit caused injuries to three employees working on the platform. One of them was fatal. The steel casing was horizontally held above sea level by the jack-up barge, which was supported on four legs, each 7.5 feet square in cross-section.

March 1992: Investigation of October 17, 1991 Roof Cable Structure Accident at Georgia Dome Construction Site, Atlanta, Georgia

A construction worker was killed and two workers were injured when their work platform, about 230 ft. above ground, was struck by a collapsing steel post, during the erection of the roof cable structure at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA. The workers were in the process of hoisting the center truss in position to make the final connection of a diagonal cable to the bottom joint of the center truss. The construction workers were using hydraulic pumps to apply loads to the temporary jacking strands in order to make the permanent diagonal cable connection to the center truss.

May 1991: Investigation of November 19, 1990 Excavation Collapse at 14th and H Streets, N.W. Washington, D.C.

The structural steel support system of an open excavation, 150 ft. x 208 ft. by 47 ft. deep collapsed causing a cave-in of several thousand cubic yards of soil. The excavation was done for the construction of a 12-story office building with four levels of underground parking. The collapse caused the internal support system to slide and fall into the open excavation. At the time of the incident, construction had stopped for the day and therefore did not cause any death or injury, though it had significant potential for casualties.

December 1990: Investigation of August 14, 1990 Collapse of Precast Concrete Beams at Airside Building, Midfield Terminal Project, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

The building under construction, the Airside Building, consisted of precast concrete beams, columns and precast prestressed hollow core concrete planks. During the erection and placement of hollow core precast planks at the roof level, several precast concrete beams, column, and hollow core planks at the roof and concourse levels collapsed. One construction worker, on the concourse level, died due to the falling debris of the collapsed beams and planks. Another construction worker was seriously injured.

May 1990: Investigation of a Tower Crane Collapse in San Francisco, California November 28, 1989

A tower crane collapsed in the center of the financial district in San Francisco, California. Four construction workers engaged in the climbing operation of the crane and one person on the street below the crane were killed. The SN 355 model crane, a climbing, luffing boom tower crane had a maximum reach of 192 feet and a maximum lift capacity of 17,000 pounds with two wire ropes. The height of the crane on the day of collapse was 298 feet and consisted of 15 identical sections added at different stages. On the day of the incident, climbing process was underway to add another tower section.

Only selected reports are posted on this webpage. For assistance with any of the reports, figures or illustrations, please contact the Directorate of Construction at (202) 693-2020.

• OSHA finds that structural engineers must specify the order and manner of replacing existing diagonals and strut members of cellular towers. Onsite judgement by workers engaged in retrofit of towers has often proven to be disastrous. (October 2018)
• OSHA finds that the contractors and engineers should consider turbulent winds causing uplift and vortex in areas exposed to tropical storms and hurricane. OSHA recommends analysis based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations. (September 2018)
• OSHA finds that the contractor not laying the boom and jib in the face of impending wind in accord with the crane manufacturer's instruction caused the collapse of the crane. (July 2016)
• OSHA finds that contractors must exhibit abundance of caution and supervision during dismantling of mast climbing platforms, not to overload the platforms causing failure of the mast. (August 2015)
• U.S. Department of Labor Announces Initiative to Increase Awareness Of Trenching and Excavation Hazards and Solutions , OSHA News Release (November 28, 2018)
• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Five Contractors for Safety Violations Following Florida Pedestrian Bridge Collapse , OSHA News Release (September 18, 2018)
• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Pennsylvania Crane Manufacturer for Exposing Employees to Safety Hazards after Fatal Crane Collapse , DOL News Release (August 6, 2018)
• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Communication Tower Contractor Following Three Fatalities at Miami Work Site , OSHA News Release (March 27, 2018)
• OSHA finds that overloading led to Providence, Rhode Island, circus fall Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus cited for serious safety violation . OSHA Regional News Release, (November 4, 2014).
• US Labor Department and Federal Communications Commission announce working group to prevent fatalities in telecommunications industry . OSHA News Release, (October 14, 2014).
• Structural Collapses During Construction - Lessons Learned, (1990-2008) (PDF). STRUCTURE magazine. OSHA investigated 96 structural collapses during construction involving fatalities and injuries from 1990 to 2008. Construction errors contributed to 80% of the structural collapses while the remaining 20% of the incidents are attributed to structural design flaws. (December 2010).

• Other Case Studies

7 Common Construction Site Accidents

According to a 2019 report by the Bureau of Labour Statistics , fatal work injuries in construction sites are the highest.

Majority of these accidents happen due to negligence, unsafe work site conditions, lack of protective measures and improper use of equipment.

The employer can also be responsible for the worker’s accident if they put costs and working schedules ahead of worker safety.

Given below are some common construction site accidents.

1. Electrocutions

If electric current passes through a construction worker who works directly or indirectly with electricity, it causes an electric shock.

This can happen due to metallic objects coming in contact with power lines, faulty electrical outlets, damaged extension cords, or wet contact with electrical appliances.

Electrocutions are a leading cause of accidents in the construction industry. Statistics say that construction workers are more likely to be electrocuted than workers in other industries.

2. Forklift And Crane Accidents

With powerful and big machines like forklifts, there is always a potential for accidents. Statistics show that more than 5000 forklift accidents take place every year.

The Occupational and Safety Health Administration reports that the main cause of forklift accidents is overturning of forklifts.

Some other common causes are,

• Overloading the weight limit
• Error in operating the forklift
• Improperly secured cargo on the forklift
• Malfunctioning of forklift

Cranes are also large machines which must be handled with care. The most common cause of crane accidents is workers who get struck by objects which fall from the crane.

Some other causes are,

• Overloading of the basket
• Malfunctioning of equipment
• Error in operation
• Unstable loads

3. Trips, Slips And Falls

Trips, slips and falls make up more than 37% of all the accidents in the construction industry.

Thousands of construction workers are injured every year and many of these injuries involve fracturing bones and dislocating joints. Trips, slips and falls have numerous causes,

• If the floor is wet, there is a high risk of slipping and hurting yourself. It can also happen in case of icy surfaces and when liquid waste which leaks from machines is not cleaned up.
• Climbing ladders while carrying heavy objects, obstruction of view, uneven surfaces and changes in floor levels can lead to falls.
• Poor lighting, dimly lit stairwells, lack of fall protection and cluttered work spaces are some other causes.

If you have suffered an injury at a construction site, we recommend you consult a construction injury lawyer . They will help you file for worker’s compensation and determine if anyone is liable for the accident.

4. Exposure To Chemicals

Many construction workers develop injuries due to exposure to toxic chemicals in the construction site.

The problem is that many workers don’t realize they are exposed to these chemicals until they develop a serious health condition.

Some of the common chemicals workers are exposed to include pesticides, fuel, machine oil, lubricants, sewage, waste water, PVC, mercury, lead and flame retardants.

Prolonged exposure to the chemicals can lead to diseases like,

• Neurological damage
• Endocrine disruption
• Heart and kidney diseases
• Impaired vision
• Impairment of digestive and immune system

5. Demolition Accidents

Demolition accidents occur frequently on construction sites. It can be due to lack of safety measures, improper training or falling objects.

Some demolition hazards include falls, collapse of the structure, noise, vibration and dust. This can lead to burns, broken bones, brain injury, paralysis and sprains.

During demolition, construction workers are also exposed to toxic chemicals and hazardous biological agents.

6. Gas Leaks And Explosions

Gas leaks in construction sites can lead to dangerous fires and explosions. The highly flammable gas can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and be dangerous to construction workers.

These accidents usually happen in construction sites which involve natural gas. They can be caused by failure to follow safety regulations, use of defective equipment and damaged gas pipes.

Burns, lung problems, dizziness, fatigue, nosebleeds and chest pains are some consequences of gas leaks.

7. Vehicle Accidents

Construction sites always have trucks, earth moving equipment and other heavy machinery.

If workers are not careful, they can get hit by these dangerous vehicles which pass through construction zones.

According to OSHA, vehicle accidents contribute to more than 35,000 injuries every year.

It is essential that all workplaces are properly maintained and all construction workers are provided appropriate safety training to minimize the occurrence of construction site accidents.

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Home > Case Studies > £80,000 compensation for client injured in construction site accident

£80,000 compensation for client injured in construction site accident

Blackwater Law personal injury solicitors settled an £80,000 compensation claim for Mr Howe who was injured in a construction site accident.

Our client, Mr Howe, was working on a construction site as a self-employed bricklayer and was in charge of a small team of workers. Near the end of his shift, Mr Howe and a co-worker went to check if the silos had been cleaned properly. Silos are commonly used for mixing cement on construction sites, if they are not cleaned properly, the mixture inside will become solid overnight which would cause a delay the next day. Mr Howe went to switch on the silos while his co-worker stayed at the front to check if clean water was coming out.

The silos were on a concrete stabilising slab which Mr Howe had to stand on while carrying out the checking procedure.  After the check was completed, Mr Howe went through two silos and as he put his foot down from the slab he stepped into a large area of water and slipped heavily onto his left side.

Injuries and damages:

Mr Howe was immediately taken to hospital after he had the construction site accident; he had fractured the top left of his femur. He was kept in hospital and underwent an operation to address his leg injury ; two pins and a nail were fitted to his fractured femur. Two crutches were given to him when he was discharged and for 6 months he had to rely on his ex-partner and daughter to care for him. Such were Mr Howe’s injuries that he had to give his dog to his daughter due to his mobility being greatly reduced after the accident.

Large volumes of water are often used when mixing cement in silos and flooding had been an ongoing issue at the site in question. Complaints had been made by Mr Howe and other site workers prior to the accident.

At the time of the accident, Mr Howe was in the process of building his own home. His extensive experience as a builder meant he was able to carry out the vast majority of the work himself, thus keeping building costs to a minimum. Following his accident, he was no longer able to work on the project because of his injuries. Mr Howe, therefore, had to seek help from his brother and had to pay to get the work done, which he was not planning to have to do.

Mr Howe was advised and represented by Dominic Graham, a Senior Personal Injury Solicitor at Blackwater Law . Mr Graham instructed medical experts to assess Mr Howe’s injuries and provide specialist supporting evidence for his personal injury claim.  These experts confirmed that Mr Howe will never be able to return to work as a builder. As such, following a partial recovery, Mr Howe has had to seek alternative, less skilled employment. Understandably, not being able to undertake tasks that he was previously capable of, and which he was highly experienced in, caused Mr Howe a significant level of frustration.

Important aspects of this claim:

Mr Howe was represented by Blackwater Law on a no-win, no-fee basis. This case had added complexity over and above that seen in many accidents at work claims and required the specialist expertise of an experienced personal injury lawyer due to the fact there were two defendants – the owner/ occupier of the accident location and Mr Howe’s employer.  Both Defendants firmly denied liability throughout.

Each defendant party also blamed the other for being responsible for maintaining the safety of the site, making this a legally complex case that required the gathering of evidence to support a strong legal argument in favour of Mr Howe’s case.

Despite the defendants maintaining their denial of liability for Mr Howe’s accident and injuries, Blackwater Law successfully negotiated a settlement of damages in the sum of £80,000, split between the two defendants.

This case and the unfortunate pain, suffering and financial loss caused to Mr Howe demonstrates Blackwater Law’s skills of negotiation and unfaltering attitude to secure the maximum possible compensation in the face of strict denial of liability by multiple defendants.

Get free initial advice from Kamila Jaskula, specialist personal injury solicitor, on claiming compensation for an accident at work.

CALL 0800 083 5500

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Construction Site Fatal Accident: Case Study

• Author Stuart Andrews

The Claimant was widowed following a tragic accident on a construction site .  Her husband had been working for a scaffolding company contracted to erect scaffolding in order that a fragile roof could be replaced.  Whilst working on the roof, the Claimant’s husband fell through it, to the ground, sustaining fatal injuries.

As is often the case on construction sites, there was a chain of contractors, each owing a duty of care to those working on the site.  Given the nature of the accident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a full investigation but this took over 4 years to be concluded.

The HSE concluded that one of the contractors (Business A) was responsible for, but had failed to, place a safety net beneath the fragile roof which would have prevented anyone falling through it to the ground below.  Following the accident, Business A went into administration and was subsequently dissolved, making it very difficult, if not impossible, for the Claimant to pursue them.   

The HSE also concluded that the business employing the Claimant’s husband (Business B) had failed to provide him with the proper safety equipment such as a safety harness and that they had failed to carry out a proper risk assessment or provide the necessary training for working at height.  Whilst this business was insured at the time of the accident, the insurers voided the policy.  Whilst the Claimant could have pursued Business B for compensation, it would have proved difficult to enforce any settlement or judgement for a significant sum of money.   

In road traffic accident cases , if the Defendant is without insurance, the person claiming compensation can make an application to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).  The MIB’s obligation is to handle claims in accordance with Agreements produced in collaboration between the MIB and the Government.  Unfortunately, no such scheme exists for other types of accident including employer’s liability claims.  Realistically, this leaves Claimants in this scenario unable to pursue a business at fault if they failed to take out appropriate insurance or if their insurers withdraw cover following an accident.   

As part of their investigations, the HSE established that a further company involved in the work (Business C) had been responsible for overseeing the work being carried out.  It was alleged that this company had been in breach of Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to communicate effectively with the many contractors involved to ensure that every stage of the works was being carried out safely.

Business B and Business C were both successfully prosecuted by the HSE.

Joint and Several Liability

In the above circumstances, the Claimant has very limited options for pursuing and successfully recovering compensation. 

However, under the legal principle of “Joint and Several Liability”, a Claimant may pursue an obligation against one Defendant and only need prove that this party was 1% or more at fault for the accident to succeed on a 100% basis.  The Defendant may allege that the injured person was partly at fault themselves (“contributory negligence”) but for anything else, they must pursue the other potential defendants for a contribution.

In this case, out of the 3 businesses potentially responsible for the accident, only one of them could in practical terms, be pursued for compensation.

Despite all of the difficulties posed and after many years of hard work establishing what happened and why, we successfully secured a six-figure settlement for our client.  Whilst it will not bring back her husband and the father of their children, it will enable them to purchase their forever home and provide them with some security for the future.  At the conclusion of this emotional case, our client commented as follows:

‘I cannot recommend Bell Lax Solicitors enough - they have worked on my case for nearly 5 years and we have come to the end now.  They got the best outcome me and my children could have asked for .’

If you or someone you care about has the need for a specialist lawyer to advise on their options following an  accident or clinical negligence , please feel free to contact one of our team for a free no obligation discussion on 0121 355 0011 .

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Auburn experts: Baltimore's Key Bridge had limited redundancy, similar to past collapses

The Expert Answers Q&As and columns reflect the expertise and opinions of individual faculty members and do not necessarily represent an official policy or position of the university.

content body

Pictured, from left, are Matt Yarnold, associate professor and director of Auburn’s Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory, and Andrzej S. Nowak, professor and Elton & Lois G. Huff Eminent Scholar Chair of Auburn’s Department of Civil Engineering.

The catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore this morning is causing many to wonder how such an incident could occur.  Andrzej S. Nowak , professor and Elton & Lois G. Huff Eminent Scholar Chair of Auburn’s Department of Civil Engineering, and  Matt Yarnold , associate professor and director of Auburn’s  Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory , provide answers to some pressing questions following the incident, noting how the Baltimore bridge had limited redundancies and is similar to other past bridge collapses. 

The professors detail below how today greater protections against such collapses are included in bridge designs, and they also discuss how Auburn is at the forefront of such efforts:

How could the failure of one bridge support due to a cargo ship strike cause the bridge’s entire collapse?

Nowak:  This bridge had a very limited redundancy. There were other catastrophic failures caused by just one weak element (Tampa, Florida and Minneapolis are examples)

Yarnold:  The bridge supports (piers) are essential to transfer the load from the superstructure to the foundations. Removing a major support like this creates instability, which results in complete collapse.

What type of design is that of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and is there a better design for newer bridges these days?

Nowak:  Cantilever truss. Today, we protect the supports with what is called “dolphins” that serve as bumpers.

Yarnold:  This structure is a steel continuous through truss bridge. It is an efficient design in terms of material (common many years ago). Currently, we don’t build bridges in this structural form. The replacement bridge will likely be a cable-stayed or arch bridge.

Is this collapse similar to any other in recent history, and what can be learned from this case and any others from the past?

Nowak:  Yes, Tampa, Minneapolis, others.

Yarnold:  Yes, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa was a similar collapse due to a ship impact. While bridge failures are tragic, a lot of knowledge can be gained. The bridge field has been heavily influenced by prior bridge collapses (e.g., the inspection program, design methods, and construction practices).

For steel bridges such as the one in Baltimore, how frequently should they be inspected, and what do inspectors typically look for in terms of structural strength/integrity?

Nowak:  This collapse could not be prevented by inspection. It would need protective “barriers” that protect the pier (as in Tampa).

Yarnold:  It is required by federal law that bridges be inspected on an interval of no more than two years. However, this collapse wasn’t due to inspection.

How susceptible are our nation’s steel bridges to something like this?

Nowak:  Some older structures, about 10% of our bridges, are inadequate to carry traffic load.

Yarnold:  I don’t consider this a steel bridge issue. It is more of an issue with adequate protective structures around bridge supports and procedures in place by the shipping industry to prevent bridge strikes.

How is Auburn helping address better bridge structures for the nation?

Nowak:  We teach students how to design and avoid problems and reduce the risk of failure.

Yarnold:  At Auburn, we teach a Bridge Design course so students can learn everything from the basic fundamentals to the practical tools for designing and managing our valuable infrastructure. We are also very active in a number of bridge research projects at the state and federal levels.

Can you tell us about Auburn’s Advanced Structural Engineering Lab and some of the research projects it is currently involved in to address stronger bridge structures?

Yarnold:  We have a number of projects at ASEL. One project led by Dr. Sener aims at strengthening existing reinforced concrete bridges using titanium reinforcement. A project I have aims to improve bridge deck slabs across the state of Alabama. Another one of my projects is studying steel bridge bracing. Dr. Nowak has recently had a few federal bridge projects. 

What is the biggest problem engineers face when it comes to bridge construction, and what should be done to address that issue?

Nowak:  Bridges, especially big bridges, are very expensive to build and to maintain, but they require attention.

Yarnold:  Bridge construction is very challenging due to the complexity of large-scale structures. We need to adequately train engineers so they can meet these challenges.

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Behavior-based safety on construction sites: A case study

This work presents the results of a case study and describes an important area within the field of construction safety management, namely behavior-based safety (BBS). This paper adopts and develops a management approach for safety improvements in construction site environments. A rigorous behav-ioral safety system and its intervention program was implemented and deployed on target construction sites. After taking a few weeks of safety behavior measurements, the project management team implemented the designed intervention and measurements were taken. Goal-setting sessions were arranged on-site with workers' participation to set realistic and attainable targets of performance. Safety performance measurements continued and the levels of performance and the targets were presented on feedback charts. Supervisors were asked to give workers recognition and praise when they acted safely or improved critical behaviors. Observers were requested to have discussions with workers, visit the site, distribute training materials to workers, and provide feedback to crews and display charts. They were required to talk to operatives in the presence of line managers. It was necessary to develop awareness and understanding of what was being measured. In the process, operatives learned how to act safely when conducting site tasks using the designed checklists. Current weekly scores were discussed in the weekly safety meetings and other operational site meetings with emphasis on how to achieve set targets. The reliability of the safety performance measures taken by the company's observers was monitored. A clear increase in safety performance level was achieved across all categories: personal protective equipment; housekeeping; access to heights; plant and equipment, and scaffolding. The research reveals that scores of safety performance at one project improved from 86% (at the end of 3rd week) to 92.9% during the 9th week. The results of intervention demonstrated large decreases in unsafe behaviors and significant increases in safe behaviors. The results of this case study showed that an approach based on goal setting, feedback, and an effective measure of safety behavior if properly applied by committed management, can improve safety performance significantly in construction site environments. The results proved that the BBS management technique can be applied to any country's culture, showing that it would be a good approach for improving the safety of front-line workers and that it has industry wide application for ongoing construction projects.

Related Papers

ardavan Es.haghi

Construction is one of the most hazardous industries due to its dynamic, temporary, and decentralized nature. The Hong Kong Commissioner for Labor identifies worker behavior as the root cause of construction accidents. Behavior-based safety (BBS) is one effective approach in managing employee safety issues. However, there is little research on the application of BBS in the construction industry. This research proposes an extension of the BBS approach, proactive behavior-based safety (PBBS), to improve construction safety. PBBS integrates the theory of BBS with the technology of Proactive Construction Management System (PCMS). The innovations of PBBS are: (1) automatically monitoring location-based behaviors; (2) quantitatively measuring safety performance; (3) investigating potential causes of unsafe behaviors; and (4) improving the efficiency of safety management. A pilot study of a Hong Kong construction site practicing PBBS was conducted. The experiment results showed that PBBS performed well on construction accident prevention and the Safety Index (SI) of the two project teams, with increased improvements by 36.07% and 44.70% respectively. It is concluded that PBBS is effective and adaptable to construction industry.

International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology IJRASET

IJRASET Publication

Construction has long been considered dangerous work. In addition, the construction industry is under constant scrutiny for quality of work. Combining safety and quality management principles and methods capitalizes on the similarities between these two management concepts to create a single ‘synergistic’ management system for improving both safety and quality. Behavioural Based Safety (BBS) processes focus on individual behaviours in the workplace that are at the very root of a high percentage of work-related injuries. Once the critical behaviours have been identified, the BBS process involves an observer/coach using positive behaviour modification techniques to change employee behaviours. As the percentage of observed safe behaviours increases, the injury rate should decrease.

Journal of Safety Research

Steve Rowlinson

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR ADVANCE RESEARCH (IJAR)

FREDRICK AHENKORA BOAMAH

The construction industry is inherently risky, with a substantial number of accidents. Moreover, most construction firms aims at completing projects on time, especially with different projects at hand thereby neglecting the safety aspect of the workers. In most construction companies, adequate concentration is not allocated to the areas of health and safety and this has been a great problem over the years. To support in addressing this issue, this work planned with the aim to recommend measures and strategies for managing safety on construction sites. Data collected was analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and the Relative Importance Index (RII) was also used in grading. It was therefore disclosed from the findings that poor planning at site, unsafe working conditions with others are some of the major causes of accident at site. Construction companies should consider the need for special training for workers and also to create a group of internal health and safety monitory experts were some of the recommendations made.

E3S Web of Conferences 65, 03006 (2018)

The construction industry involves one of the most hazardous occupation for workers due to complex management processes, environmental issues, work pressure and heavy and complicated equipment involved in modern construction projects. Despite the advancement of technology in the construction industry, an escalating number of fatal accidents occur because of the human errors and the unsafe behaviours. In this research, an analysis for previous studies has been conducted to define all safety behavioural factors in construction industry for improving the safety performance in construction industry. All the studies were categorised in accordance with their methodologies, analytical methods, variables, and the findings in order to build an effective conceptual framework. The framework comprises of three main categories that incur direct impact toward the safety behaviour in construction industries, namely: (a) organizational factors, (b) safety climate factors, and (c) individual factors. Each category has own variables which make a total of 16 factors for all categories. The framework facilitates to assess the effectiveness of a construction industry, identify the deficiencies and the weakness, and create procedures to manage the accident in future by controlling the safety behaviour of employees.

Frank Fugar , DOROTHY DONKOH

IOSR Journals

Background: There is a high risk of working in the construction industry in the U.S. because it contributes to the majority of the fatalities among all organizations, and the sections of construction with more fatalities rate are the residential and commercial constructions. Therefore it will be necessary to focus on the safety of residential and commercial constructions. Doing so will lower the accident rate for both construction and overall records. Eighteen previous related research reports were observed and it was found that five of the studies could be used to represent all the eighteen earlier experiments. These were used to carry out further investigations. The results were analyzed which was used to find a safety measure that will be suitable and effective in improving both commercial and residential safety in the U.S. The findings indicate that 91% of construction industries in the United States practice training and safety meetings and frequent site work inspections. Also, the media contributed towards improving construction safety. Some researchers used 3D immersive visual VR in some construction companies to train employees and it shows an advantage over the traditional method. Other experimenters focused on using Proactive behaviorbased safety (PBBS) management to improve construction safety in China. Increasing leader-based site verbal safety communication in two interventions improved safety by 7% and 12%. In conclusion, three methods were selected which if included as safety measures in both residential and commercial construction sites it will reduce the percentage of both fatalities and non-fatalities records in the construction industry and overall accident records in the United States. The methods are (1) Using Virtual reality instead of the conventional methods for training employees (2) increasing leader-based site verbal safety communication at construction sites (3) applying the Proactive behavior-based safety (PBBS) method.

Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée

Ivan Robertson

Journal of Civil Engineering and Construction

Ahmed Senouci

Safety in the construction industry has progressed exponentially in the last century. The development of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may be seen as a major milestone for work place safety. However, the first stages of OSHA were reactive. In the early 2000’s, companies placed aggressive focus on the application of proactive measures in preventing incidents rather than simply reacting. Risk Assessments, Constructability Reviews, and Hazard Identifications were few of the best practices implemented in this time period. Experts now believe the implementation of a Behavioral Based Safety Program (BBS) is the next revolutionary technique to help decrease injury rates further. Several studies were conducted which exhibit a correlation between effective BBS implementation and OSHA classified recordable injury rates. However, there are no previous studies identifying correlation between BBS implementation versus Near Misses, and BBS implementation versus OSHA cl...

Safety Science

mochama gori

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Explainer: Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse and what is the death toll?

What is the death toll so far, when did the baltimore bridge collapse, why did the bridge collapse, who will pay for the damage and how much will the bridge cost.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO REBUILD THE BRIDGE?

What ship hit the baltimore bridge, what do we know about the bridge that collapsed.

HOW WILL THE BRIDGE COLLAPSE IMPACT THE BALTIMORE PORT?

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Reporting by Lisa Shumaker; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Josie Kao and Tom Hogue

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Thomson Reuters

Lisa's journalism career spans two decades, and she currently serves as the Americas Day Editor for the Global News Desk. She played a pivotal role in tracking the COVID pandemic and leading initiatives in speed, headline writing and multimedia. She has worked closely with the finance and company news teams on major stories, such as the departures of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and significant developments at Apple, Alphabet, Facebook and Tesla. Her dedication and hard work have been recognized with the 2010 Desk Editor of the Year award and a Journalist of the Year nomination in 2020. Lisa is passionate about visual and long-form storytelling. She holds a degree in both psychology and journalism from Penn State University.

Niagara region declares state of emergency out of caution ahead of rare eclipse

Canada's Niagara region has proactively declared a state of emergency ahead of a rare total solar eclipse on April 8 that is expected to gather massive crowds to areas in and around the region's popular waterfalls.

Greek authorities have arrested a senior member of an international gang that smuggled Latin American fuel products for illegal sale around the world, raking in an estimated profit of more than $21 billion, police said on Saturday.

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March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

By Helen Regan , Kathleen Magramo , Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji , Maureen Chowdhury , Rachel Ramirez , Elise Hammond , Aditi Sangal , Tori B. Powell , Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Kathleen Magramo , CNN

Our live coverage of the Baltimore bridge collapse has moved here .

Crew member on DALI said everyone on board was safe hours after bridge collapse, official says

From CNN’s Amy Simonson

A crew member on the DALI cargo ship sent a message hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday saying everybody on board was safe, according to Apostleship of the Sea director Andy Middleton.

Middleton, who spent time with the captain of the DALI Monday, told CNN’s Laura Coates he reached out to a crew member after hearing about the incident Tuesday morning. 

He said there were 22 members aboard the ship from India who were setting sail earlier Tuesday morning and were heading toward Sri Lanka.

“I was able to reach out to a crew member very early this morning around 5:30 (a.m. ET) or 6 (a.m. ET) and get a message to them asking if they were OK,” he said. “That crew member responded within just a few minutes advising that the crew was safe, and everybody that [was] on board was safe.”

Middleton was told by the ship's captain Monday that the vessel was going to take a longer route to avoid risks along the Yemen coast.

“When I was out with the captain yesterday, we were talking while we were driving, and he advised that they were sailing down and around the tip of South Africa in order to avoid the incidents that are going on off the Yemen coast, and it was a safer way to go,” he said.

Middleton said the  Apostleship of the Sea  is a ministry to seafarers with members that spend time in the port and on the vessels as a friendly face to the seafarers that visit the Port of Baltimore, “taking care of their needs to make sure that they're reminded of their God-given human dignity when they're here in Baltimore.”

Search operation ends in "heartbreaking conclusion," Maryland governor says. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning. The collapse came after a 984-foot cargo ship hit the bridge's pillar.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters Tuesday evening it's a "really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day."

Late Tuesday, it was discovered that two of the construction workers who went missing after the bridge collapsed were from Guatemala , the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Tuesday.

Here's what you should know to get up to speed:

• The victims: Eight people were on the bridge  when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and was later  discharged , fire official and the medical center said.
• The incident: Video shows the moment the entire bridge structure falls into the water, as the ship hits one of the bridge's pillars. CNN analysis shows that the  ships lights flickered  and it veered off course before it hit the bridge. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crew on the ship were able to issue a "mayday" before colliding into the bridge, which allowed the authorities to stop incoming traffic from going onto the bridge.
• Response efforts: Earlier, dive teams from various state and local agencies were brought in to assist in search-and-rescue operations, according to Maryland State Police Secretary Col. Roland L. Butler Jr.. The mission started with 50 personnel and continued to grow before the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening that it was suspending its active search-and-rescue operation and transitioning to a "different phase."
• The investigation: Authorities are still working to establish exactly how the crash occurred. The National Transportation Safety Board will look into  how the bridge was built  and investigate the structure itself. It will "take time to dig through" whether the bridge had ever been  flagged for any safety deficiencies , NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
• Rebuilding the bridge: US Sen. Chris Van Hollen said the path to rebuilding the bridge will be "long and expensive." Senior White House adviser Tom Perez told reporters Tuesday “it’s too early” to tell how long it will take to rebuild the bridge. President Joe Biden said Tuesday he wants the federal government to bear the full cost of rebuilding the collapsed bridge, noting that it will not wait for the company who owns the container ship DALI to shoulder the costs. Funding could come from the Federal Highway Administration as well as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but it may require additional funding from Congress.

2 of the missing construction workers from bridge collapse were from Guatemala, foreign ministry says

From CNN’s Allison Gordon, Flora Charner and Amy Simonson

Two of the construction workers missing from the bridge collapse in Baltimore were from Guatemala, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday.

Those missing included a 26-year-old originally from San Luis, Petén. The other is a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula, the statement said.

The ministry said both were part of a work team “repairing the asphalt on the bridge at the time of the accident.”

The statement did not name the two people missing, but it said the country’s consul general in Maryland “went to the area where the families of those affected are located,” where he hopes to be able to meet with the brothers of both missing people.

The consulate   also issued a statement Tuesday saying its consul general in Maryland "remains in contact with local authorities," and also confirmed that two of those missing "were of Guatemalan origin.”

Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning when a cargo ship hit the bridge's pillar.

State and federal officials have not released information about the identities of any of the six missing workers.

Underwater mapping of bridge collapse area to begin Wednesday, Baltimore fire chief says

From CNN's Jennifer Henderson

Search operations near the Key Bridge collapse have shut down for the night due to dangerous conditions, but the process of underwater mapping with many local, state and federal dive teams will begin Wednesday, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Tuesday night.

Wallace said the portion of the Patapsco River is “tidal influenced, so it goes through tide cycles just like the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay does.”

The water depths in the area under the bridge vary from 40 feet to more than 60 feet, Wallace said. The deeper the divers go, the colder the temperatures they encounter, and the visibility is zero, he added.

 Wallace said when crews arrived Tuesday morning, the surface water temperatures of the Patapsco River were about 47 degrees with an air temperature of 44-45 degrees.

Here's what you should know about the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after a massive container ship lost power and crashed into the iconic Baltimore bridge, sending people and vehicles into the frigid Patapsco River.

Six people, believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead and the Coast Guard has ended its active search and rescue mission.

Here's what you should know about the historic bridge:

• How old?: The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also referred to as just the Key Bridge, opened to traffic in March 1977 and is the final link in the Baltimore Beltway, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA.) It crosses over the 50-foot-deep Patapsco River, where former US attorney Francis Scott Key found inspiration to write the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner, the MDTA says.
• How long?: The bridge was 1.6 miles long when standing, MDTA reports.
• Traffic volume: More than 30,000 people commuted daily on the bridge, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
• How much did it cost?: The bridge cost $60.3 million to build, MDTA says. Since its collapse, President Joe Biden said he’s committed to helping rebuild the bridge as soon as possible.
• About the port: Baltimore ranks as the ninth biggest US port for international cargo. It handled a record 52.3 million tons, valued at $80.8 billion, in 2023. According to the Maryland state government, the port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in related services.
• About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. Dali is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk . The ship is about 984 feet long , according to MarineTraffic data. That’s the length of almost three football fields.

Baltimore woman says bridge collapse was "like a piece of family dissolved"

From CNN's Kit Maher

For longtime Baltimore resident, Ceely, who opted not to share her last name, seeing footage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse  Tuesday was deeply personal.

“I was very heavy-hearted,” Ceely told CNN. “Very tearful, thinking about the families whose loved ones may be in the water and just remembering when the bridge was constructed, and it was just like a piece of family dissolved.”

Ceely was at a prayer group Tuesday morning when she saw the news. She recalled being afraid when she first crossed the bridge while in Ford Maverick in 1975, but grew to like it because it saved time on the road.

“It was a main artery just like a blood line. It was a main artery to the other side of town. It was awesome. It beat going through the city all the time,” she said.

Elder Rashad A. Singletary , a senior pastor who led Tuesday night’s vigil at Mt. Olive Baptist Church told CNN that many church members watched the bridge's construction.

"It’s a part of the community. A lot of our individuals in our congregation drive that bridge to go to work, and so now it’s really a life changing moment,” he said.

"Heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," Maryland governor says as Coast Guard ended search operation

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

More than 18 hours after the collapse of the Baltimore bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said it was a heartbreaking conclusion after the Coast Guard ended the search-and-rescue operation for the six people who were on the bridge when it collapsed.

It's a "really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," he said.

"We put every single asset possible — air, land and sea" to find the missing people, he told reporters on Tuesday evening. "While even though we're moving on now to a recovery mission, we're still fully committed to making sure that we're going to use every single asset to now bring a sense of closure to the families," the governor added.

6 people presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse, Coast Guard says. Here's what we know

As the sun sets in Baltimore, six people are presumed dead after a major bridge collapsed overnight Tuesday, according to the Coast Guard. The Francis Scott Key Bridge came down around 1:30 a.m. ET after a cargo ship collided with it.

The Coast Guard said it has ended its active search-and-rescue operation for the missing construction workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed.

• What we know: Eight people were on the bridge when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and has been discharged . The Coast Guard has been searching for six other people. But, around 7:30 p.m. ET, the Coast Guard said it has transitioned to a “different phase” of operation, now it did “not believe we are going to find any of these individuals alive,” Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said.
• About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. The vessel is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk . The US Embassy in Singapore has been in contact with the country’s Maritime and Port Authority, a State Department spokesperson said.
• The investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the collapse. A team of 24 experts will dig into nautical operations, vessel operations, safety history records, owners, operators, company policy and any safety management systems or programs, said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. A voyage data recorder will be critical to the investigation, she added. 
• Vehicles on the bridge: Officials are also working to verify the numbers of how many cars and people were on the bridge, Homendy said. Gov. Wes Moore said the quick work of authorities in closing the bridge had saved lives . Radio traffic captured how authorities stopped traffic and worked to clear the bridge seconds before the impact . Maryland State Police Secretary Col. Roland L. Butler Jr. said there is a “ distinct possibility ” more vehicles were on the bridge, but authorities have not found any evidence to support that.
• Looking ahead: NTSB will look into how the bridge was built and investigate the structure itself, including if it was flagged for any safety deficiencies , Homendy said. The federal government has also directed its resources to help with search and rescue, to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge, Vice President Kamala Harris said . Earlier, President Joe Biden said t he federal government will pay to fix the bridge.
• The economy: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned the collapse will have a serious impact on supply chains . Until the channel is reopened, ships will likely already be changing course for other East Coast ports. Ocean carriers are already being diverted from the Port of Baltimore, where the bridge collapsed, to the Port of Virginia to “keep trade moving."

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Six presumed dead after cargo ship crash levels Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE — A major Baltimore bridge collapsed like a house of cards early Tuesday after it was struck by a container ship, sending six people to their deaths in the dark waters below, and closing one of the country’s busiest ports.

By nightfall, the desperate search for six people who were working on the bridge and vanished when it fell apart had become a grim search for bodies.

“We do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said earlier that one of his workers had survived. He did not release their names.

Up until then, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore had held out hope that the missing people might be found even as law enforcement warned that the frigid water and the fact that there had been no sign of them since 1:30 a.m. when the ship struck Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Moore expressed heartbreak after officials suspended the search for survivors.

"Our heart goes out to the families," he said. "I can’t imagine how painful today has been for these families, how painful these hours have been have been for these families."

It was a crushing blow to the loved ones of the missing men, who had waited for hours at a Royal Farms convenience store near the entrance of the bridge for word of their fate. 

Follow live updates on the Baltimore bridge collapse

The tragic chain of events began early Tuesday when the cargo ship Dali notified authorities that it had lost power and issued a mayday moments before the 984-foot vessel slammed into a bridge support at a speed of 8 knots, which is about 9 mph.

Moore declared a state of emergency while rescue crews using sonar detected at least five vehicles in the frigid 50-foot-deep water: three passenger cars, a cement truck and another vehicle of some kind. Authorities do not believe anyone was inside the vehicles.

Investigators quickly concluded that it was an accident and not an act of terrorism.

Ship was involved in another collision

Earlier, two people were rescued from the water, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said. One was in good condition and refused treatment, he said. The other was seriously injured and was being treated in a trauma center.

Moore said other drivers might have been in the water had it not been for those who, upon hearing the mayday, blocked off the bridge and kept other vehicles from crossing.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives.”

Nearly eight years ago, the Dali was involved in an accident. In July 2016, it struck a quay at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, damaging the quay.

The nautical commission investigated the accident, but the details of the inquiry were not immediately clear Tuesday.

The Dali is operated and managed by Synergy Group. In a statement, the company said that two port pilots were at the helm during Tuesday's crash and that all 22 crew members onboard were accounted for.

The Dali was chartered by the Danish shipping giant Maersk, which said it would have no choice but to send its ships to other nearby ports with the Port of Baltimore closed.

The bridge, which is about a mile and a half long and carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River southeast of Baltimore, was "fully up to code," Moore said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said that her agency will lead the investigation and that a data recorder on the ship could provide more information.

"But right now we're focusing on the people, on the families," she said. "The rest can wait."

President Joe Biden vowed to rebuild the bridge and send federal funds.

"This is going to take some time," the president warned. "The people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them, at every step of the way, till the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Speaking in Baltimore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg echoed the president's promise.

"This is no ordinary bridge," he said. "This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure."

But Buttigieg warned that replacing the bridge and reopening the port will take time and money and that it could affect supply chains.

The Port of Baltimore, the 11th largest in the U.S., is the busiest port for car imports and exports, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2023 alone, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.

Writer David Simon, a champion of Baltimore who set his TV crime drama "The Wire" on the streets of the city he once covered as a reporter, warned online that the people who will suffer the most are those whose livelihoods depend on the port.

"Thinking first of the people on the bridge," Simon posted on X . "But the mind wanders to a port city strangling. All the people who rely on ships in and out."

Timeline of crash

Dramatic video captured the moment at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday when the Dali struck a support and sent the bridge tumbling into the water. A livestream showed cars and trucks on the bridge just before the strike. The ship did not sink, and its lights remained on.

Investigators said in a timeline that the Dali's lights suddenly shut off four minutes earlier before they came back on and that then, at 1:25 a.m. dark black smoke began billowing from the ship's chimney.

A minute later, at 1:26 a.m., the ship appeared to turn. And in the minutes before it slammed into the support, the lights flickered again.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the workers on the bridge were repairing concrete ducts when the ship crashed into the structure.

At least seven workers were pouring concrete to fix potholes on the roadway on the bridge directly above where the ship hit, said James Krutzfeldt, a foreman.

Earlier, the Coast Guard said it had received a report that a “motor vessel made impact with the bridge” and confirmed it was the Dali, a containership sailing under a Singaporean flag that was heading for Sri Lanka.

Bobby Haines, who lives in Dundalk in Baltimore County, said he felt the impact of the bridge collapse from his house nearby.

"I woke up at 1:30 this morning and my house shook, and I was freaking out," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake, and to find out it was a bridge is really, really scary."

Families of bridge workers wait for updates

Earlier in the day, relatives of the construction crew waited for updates on their loved ones.

Marian Del Carmen Castellon told Telemundo her husband, Miguel Luna, 49, was working on the bridge.

“They only tell us that we have to wait and that they can’t give us information,” she said.

Castellon said she was "devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know how they have been rescued yet. We are just waiting for the news."

Luna's co-worker Jesús Campos said he felt crushed, too.

“It hurts my heart to see what is happening. We are human beings, and they are my folks,” he said.

Campos told The Baltimore Banner that the missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Active search and rescue ends

The Coast Guard said it was suspending the active search-and-rescue effort at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Coast Guard’s not going away, none of our partners are going away, but we’re just going to transition into a different phase," Gilreath said at a news conference.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr., said it was moving to a recovery operation. Changing conditions have made it dangerous for divers, he said. 

Butler pledged to "do our very best to recover those six missing people," but the conditions are difficult.

"If we look at how challenging it is at a simple motor vehicle crash to extract an individual, I'm sure we can all imagine how much harder it is to do it in inclement weather, when it's cold, under the water, with very limited to no visibility," he said.

"There's a tremendous amount of debris in the water," which can include sharp metal and other hazards, and that could take time, Butler said.

'A long road in front of us'

Built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge, the structure was later named after the author of the American national anthem.

The bridge is more than 8,500 feet long, or 1.6 miles. Its main section spans 1,200 feet, and it was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance .

About 31,000 vehicles a day use the bridge, which equals 11.3 million vehicles per year, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

The river and the Port of Baltimore are both key to the shipping industry on the East Coast, generating more than $3.3 billion a year and directly employing more than 15,000 people.

Asked what people in Baltimore can expect going forward, the state's transportation secretary said it is too early to tell.

"Obviously we reached out to a number of engineering companies, so obviously we have a long road in front of us," Wiedefeld said.

Julia Jester reported from Baltimore, Patrick Smith from London, Corky Siemaszko from New York and Phil Helsel from Los Angeles.

Julia Jester is a producer for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

‘Total Disgrace’: Anger, Frustration as Mass Heating Failures Across Russia Leave Thousands in the Cold

P ODOLSK, Moscow region – Residents throughout Russia affected by unprecedented winter heating outages in recent days have expressed their frustration and urged local authorities to restore heating in their homes.

In Podolsk, a town some 30 kilometers south of the capital Moscow, at least 149,000 residents — nearly half of its population — were left without heating when a heating main burst at a nearby private ammunition plant.

“It’s a total disgrace. There is no heating and no hot water. We have to sleep in sleeping bags,” Yuri, a local resident, told The Moscow Times.

“I have no words to describe how bad the situation is," said Yuri, who declined to provide his surname. "We have had no heating for almost six days."

Heating issues have affected residents in the Moscow region, where temperatures have plunged to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius in the past week, as well as people in the Far East Primorye region , the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg , Penza , the southern Voronezh and Volgograd regions and more.

In the Tver region, a group of residents filmed an appeal to President Vladimir Putin, saying that they “are freezing from the cold” in the village of Novozavidovsky.

“We're literally being killed by the cold,” a woman in the video said, adding that they have been sending requests to local authorities since September after their houses were connected to a boiler room whose power was reportedly insufficient.

“This is some kind of torture and extermination of the population 100 kilometers from Moscow,” she added.

Residents of the Moscow region town of Elektrostal lit a fire in the street to draw the authorities’ attention to the heating problem.

“It’s impossible to stay in our houses. We're freezing!” a group of women in the video said.

Suffering from subzero temperatures, residents are placing the blame on local authorities and utility services for failing to take necessary precautions and not taking action to resolve the situation.

“We are sending complaints everywhere but no one listens to us. We have portable heaters working in every room, but the temperature inside is still 10 degrees Celsius,” Yelena from Podolsk said.

“There is a clinic and a hospital, as well as kindergartens, where there is no heating. And we have no answers, no assistance, no explanation,” Yelena added.

Podolsk authorities opened temporary heating centers and declared a state of emergency.

Local authorities linked the heating problems to the fact that the town is heated by a boiler plant owned by the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant, a private ammunition factory and one of the largest weapon cartridge production enterprises in the country.

“The facility is under tight security conditions, which limits our ability to oversee winter preparations,” the Moscow region’s Vice Governor Yevgeny Khromushin said last week. “We were unaware of the problem for nearly a day.”

An unidentified Moscow region official and two senior executives at the plant were arrested on suspicion of providing unsafe services, Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement Tuesday.

Investigators said that Podolsk’s deputy mayor was accused of misusing authority by issuing a readiness certificate for the boiler house at the plant.

In the neighboring Tver region, the authorities opened a criminal case over the laundering of over 84 million rubles ($938,993) in heating bills paid by residents, the Astra Telegram channel reported this week, citing unidentified sources. According to investigators, the heads of the local water intake and boiler house misappropriated the heating payments for personal use.

Reacting to the heating failures, Putin on Tuesday asked Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to provide heat and electricity to the affected residents.

The outages appear to be the latest effect of several decades of crumbling infrastructure in Russia which have been linked to endemic corruption and mismanagement.

The overall decay of Russia's municipal infrastructure surpassed 70% in 2022, the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia reported .

According to Sergei Pakhomov, head of the State Duma’s Construction, Housing and Utilities Committee, water pipes that were 90 years old or even older were still in use as recently as two years ago in some cases.

Housing, utilities and communal services are a common source of problems for Russians during the winter.

In St. Petersburg, residents regularly complain about extensive ice coverage on city streets and sidewalks, with many people ending up in the hospital over the years due to slipping and falling accidents.

In the Siberian republic of Khakassia, two villages were left without electricity last month due to apparent issues with outdated communication systems.

In the winter of 2020, five people in the Perm region were killed after a pipe burst.

When asked about the latest heating outages, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the problems and linked them to poor municipal infrastructure, saying that people “had to endure a lot of inconvenience in the cold and without electricity.”

"Despite all the titanic efforts to update all housing and communal services systems, there's still a certain part that remains considerably deteriorated. These programs will continue, but it is impossible to update all pipes and all housing and communal services systems in 10-15 years,” Peskov said.

As for now, residents affected by heating issues appear to lack optimism that the problems will be solved efficiently.

"It's been a week since we've had heating, and the temperature in my apartment is around 11 degrees Celsius,” Podolsk resident Lidiya told The Moscow Times.

“Unfortunately, no one knows when it will be repaired,” she added.

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