Multiple construction workers were transported to local hospitals in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday after an 11th floor parking deck collapsed onto the 10th floor and then collapsed again while workers were shoring up the site the next day.
Local news reports stated that 4 workers were transported to nearby hospitals on Friday, with one having serious leg injuries, and another was treated on-site. Another worker suffered leg injuries after the second collapse on Saturday. In a tweet, Atlanta Fire Rescue stated that a “T-beam pancaked down multiple floors at 530 W Peachtree Street. Workers were inside shoring up the structure from a #collapse that took place yesterday.”
Atlanta Fire Search and Rescue Units extricated one worker with leg injuries after T-beam pancaked down multiple floors at 530 W. Peachtree Street. Workers were inside shoring up the structure from a #collapse that took place yesterday. #AFRD pic.twitter.com/kSL7DjbMOa
— Atlanta Fire Rescue (@ATLFireRescue) September 12, 2020
The project is located at Emory University in Midtown. Flyover video of the site after the first collapse can be seen in the video below, shared on YouTube by 11Alive.
This collapse is one of a few in recent memory that have injured or killed several construction workers on-site. Last December, a floor collapsed while concrete was being poured in Cincinnati, killing 1 and injuring 5 others. A couple of months prior to that, the under construction Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans partially collapsed, killing 3 people and injuring about 30 others.
If you have a large slab pour coming up, this should serve as a good reminder to double check all of your safety and rescue plans, shoring, and forms.
Full Story: 5 construction workers rescued after parking deck collapses in Midtown | AJC
Full Story: Atlanta parking deck collapses for second time in 2 days | WFTV9
Last summer, Hilti announced that they had developed their first exoskeleton designed for construction tradespeople in a partnership with Ottobuck, a prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeleton provider. Earlier this month, Hilti officially released the exoskeleton, announced more details, and published its retail price on their website.
[guest post] It’s a morbid statistic, but the construction industry experiences more workplace deaths than any other. With so many potential hazards, heavy-duty machinery, and power tools, it’s perhaps not surprising that serious accidents are relatively commonplace.
Even though we’re over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus is still threatening the health of construction’s workers and taking a toll on project timelines. It’s likely that your company has already determined the best course of action to help mitigate the risk of spreading the virus on your jobsites, but it’s never too late to learn from another contractor.
It’s been a little over a year since the coronavirus pandemic sent the entire world into a period of uncertainty, heartache, and panic. The construction industry itself has undertaken many different challenges, above and beyond keeping their people safe on the jobsite, many of which no one could have expected.
“You make a better door than a window!” is what I imagine loader operators constantly yell at the bucket in front of them (or maybe I’m just projecting based on my experience of having the habit of sitting right in front of the TV as a kid). Either way, operators may not be yelling that in the future, as equipment manufacturer, Doosan, has introduced what they claim is an industry first “transparent” bucket.
Reducing dust when cutting tile is important for many reasons (including safety and cleanliness), but wet tile saws can be a pain to use, with the slurry created spraying all around the work station and cold weather making the saw much more difficult to use outside. iQ Power Tools has a solution for that: the world’s first 7” portable dry table saw with integrated dust control.
In the construction industry, falls from height are continuously the leading cause of jobsite injuries, fatalities, and, as a result, OSHA citations. From May 3-May 7, OSHA invites construction employers and stakeholders to take part in their 8th annual National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.
On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
It seems a little odd to be talking about air-conditioning when much of the United States hit some incredibly low temperatures in recent days, but a product that I learned about recently is just too exciting to ignore. Announced at CES 2021, a research company has unveiled an air-conditioned hard hat (ACHH) that can reduce the ambient temperature up to 22 degrees Fahrenheit!
2020 was a challenging year in many respects, but none greater than from a safety standpoint. The coronavirus pandemic placed the notion of “people over profits” under the microscope, while also balancing the needs of their employees to continue to make an income under difficult circumstances. While the pandemic was a large part of the construction safety conversation last year, there were several other developments to take note of for your projects in the future.
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.