Work has resumed on the site of a Brazilian soccer stadium where a crane fatally collapsed on Nov. 27, but a ban on crane operations is in place while the incident continues to be investigated.
A Philadelphia grand jury has charged demolition contractor Griffin Campbell with six counts of third-degree murder for his role in the city’s deadly June 5 building collapse.Campbell, owner of Campbell Construction, is accused of using improper and unsafe methods to bring down an abandoned four-story building owned by New York developer Richard Basciano to make way for a mixed-use development.An unsupported multi-story wall collapsed onto an adjacent one-story Salvation Army store, killing six and injuring 14.An investigation revealed that Campbell had not installed proper bracing on the building’s sidewalls, electing to begin the project by removing the facade and floor
AP Wideworld Two people died in a Nov. 27 accident that toppled a crawler crane and part of the Itaquerao stadium, future site of the opening of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Related Links: Two Years to World Cup Kickoff for Brazilian Stadiums Report: 40% of World Cup Projects Behind Schedule A leading expert on crane collapses describes a Nov. 27 accident at a World Cup soccer stadium under construction in Brazil as "highly unusual" after an initial assessment of damage photos."It is unusual because the boom snapped off the car body," says Jim Wiethorn, a forensic specialist at
Photo by AP Wideworld The popularity of narcotic painkillers has a downside and cost that some states may not fully recognize. Related Links: Tightening Up the Rules for Hydrocodone, the Favorite PainKiller The Myth of Workers' Compensation Fraud Someone forgot to send Missouri the memo about the latest research on rising costs in workers' compensation.Concerned about fraudulent claims by workers, state Senator Mike Cunningham (R) late last year sponsored a bill that would have given employers access to a free online database of compensation claims. Employers would be able to screen workers for a history of fraud, without first securing
Related Links: Following Collapse, Philadelphia Tightening Demolition Standards Link to OSHA citation for Campbell Construction Link to OSHA Citation for S&R Contracting The U.S. Labor Dept.’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations and proposed fines for two individuals involved in a June 5 Philadelphia building collapse, which killed six people and injured 14. Griffin Campbell, doing business as Campbell Construction, and Sean Benschop, doing business as S&R Contracting, both of Philadelphia, have 15 days to contest the citations, David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, told reporters on Nov. 14. “If the two employers
Related Links: Narcotic Painkillers Weigh Heavily on Workers' Compensation Costs Sober, clear-headed workers can mean life or death on a construction jobsite.So last month’s recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration for more restrictions on hydrocodone-containing painkillers is good news for construction employers and workers: the FDA wants to upgrade hydrocodone’s status from a schedule 3 narcotic—the classification for low-dose codeine-containing drugs—to a schedule 2 narcotic, the category for methadone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl.The new status would reduce the number of refills allowed before checking in with a doctor. It would require patients to bring prescriptions to a pharmacy in person
Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics release: 2012 workplace injuries and illnesses OSHA release: proposed injury/illness data reporting requirements OSHA FAQs on proposed rule One measure of construction workplace safety improved last year, as the industry’s rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses declined from the 2011 level, the Labor Dept.’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Nov. 7.In a related development, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration—which also is part of the Labor Dept.—announced the same day that it is proposing to require large employers in all industries to submit workplace injury and illness information electronically to it each quarter.The latest
Photo by Peter Reina for ENR A collapsed tower crane atop London's Cabinet Office is dismantled after a heavy storm on the Christian feast day of St. Jude struck Europe on Oct. 28. A second crane also was damaged in the storm. Related Links: Hurricane-force Gusts Batter U.K., Topple London Crane Crane Collapse in Northeastern China Kills Four A crane manufacturer is looking for clues to explain what caused two of its tower cranes to sustain major damage during a deadly storm that blew through London in late October and caused travel delays, flooding and damage throughout western Europe.A tower
Related Links: Holding Off Chronic Health Woes Meaningful Health Care Reform Requires Private-Sector Help Faced with rising health insurance premiums, an increasing number of contractors and subcontractors are embracing workplace wellness programs to promote healthier lifestyles and help reduce health-care costs."A lot of contractors are seeing the connection between safety and health on the job and realizing the benefits that wellness programs can have both for job performance and their bottom lines," says Kevin Cannon, director of safety and health services for the Associated General Contractors of America.The rise of wellness programs among construction firms mirrors a national trend. According
Related Links: Two Killed, One Injured in Tenn. Goodwill Under Construction Four Tennessee firms have been cited for serious workplace-safety law violations and face $14,000 to $15,200 fines after two workers were killed and a third injured when a masonry wall collapsed last spring.The companies are Solomon Builders Inc. and N&S Waterproofing LLC, both of Nashville, Thorne's Excavating Co. LLC, Lebanon, and Tayes Masonry, Smithville. Solomon was the general contractor and the others were subcontractors on a 28,000-sq-ft Goodwill store, training center and drop-off center in Hendersonville, a Nashville suburb.Poor Training, Site Hazards CitedSolomon, N&S and Thorne's were fined $15,200
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