Two miners were injured when a building partially collapsed during construction, according to a serious accident alert issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). One miner was transported to a hospital while the other was treated at the site and released.
The MSHA has issued best practice guidelines following the incident.
Best Practices:
- Construction should sequence in a systematic manner according to the design drawings.
- Ensure a competent person conducts structural inspections periodically to identify hazards.
- Temporary bracing should be provided at all times during construction to resist wind, earthquake, and other construction loads.
- Routinely examine metal structures for indications of structural deficiencies (corrosion, fatigue cracks, bent/buckling structural members, loose/missing connectors, broken welds, etc.).
- Report structural damage to the engineer overseeing the construction project.
- Any modifications to column base plates and anchors should be approved by the engineer of record.
- Train all persons to recognize and understand safe job procedures before beginning work. Be alert for hazards created while the work is performed.
- Wear fall protection where there is a danger of falling.
- Remove personnel from the structure when there are high wind speeds or gusts.
