The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited five contractors who had been working on the Florida International University (FIU) pedestrian bridge that collapsed March 15, killing five motorists and one worker and injuring five others. The agency has also proposed fines totaling $86,658 for the group of companies.

• OSHA issued Figg Bridge Engineers and engineering and inspection firm Network Engineering Services one serious violation each and proposed that each firm be fined $12,934 for exposing employees to physical danger by not removing them from the bridge area when cracks were observed.
• The agency proposed fines of $25,868 for both post-tensioning specialty contractor Structural Technologies and general contractor Munilla Construction Management and cited both companies with two serious violations each for failing to provide adequate personal fall arrest systems.
• Finally, OSHA issued concrete formwork contractor The Structural Group of South Florida one serious violation and a proposed fine of $9,054 for also failing to provide an adequate personal fall arrest system. The worker who died, Navaro Brown, worked for Structural Technologies.

“Collectively,” said Kurt A. Petermeyer, OSHA regional administrator, “these employers failed to take appropriate action and provide the necessary protections to their employees while they were working on the bridge on the day it collapsed.” All five companies have 15 days from the receipt of the citations and notice of proposed penalties to protest, request an informal hearing or comply.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/osha-cites-5-contractors-in-fiu-bridge-collapse-proposes-fines-totaling-8/532921/

See OSHA’s Sept. 18, 2018 press release here: https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/region4/09182018

See earlier article on NTSB reports here: https://gtpac.org/2018/08/23/new-ntsb-report-on-fiu-bridge-collapse-stops-shy-of-naming-a-culprit/

 

On Aug. 9, the National Transportation Safety Board released the latest update on its investigation into the March 15 Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse. It still, however, isn’t ready to identify the probable cause of the structure’s failure despite photo evidence of cracks — some fissure-like — in the bridge deck and other areas, presumably that developed after the prefabricated span was set in place just a few days before the fatal incident.

The bridge was transported into position from its offsite location on March 10 to much fanfare, while its building method, accelerated bridge construction, was touted as a way to deliver such structures with minimal interruption to traffic. Five days later, the bridge collapsed onto vehicular traffic below, killing six — one bridge worker and five vehicle occupants — and injuring several others.

The collapse occurred while workers were tightening, or re-tensioning, steel rods at the bridge’s north end, including at diagonal member 11, after they were de-tensioned on the day of the move.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/new-ntsb-report-on-fiu-bridge-collapse-stops-shy-of-naming-a-culprit/530346/

See NTSB reports at:

• Mar. 25, 2018 Initial Report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/HWY18MH009-prelim-.aspx
• Aug. 9, 2018 Updated Report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HWY18MH009-investigative-update.pdf