Safety information search results

This report concerns aluminium coping sheets that blew off the parapet of a block of flats under construction. The reporter says a fierce wind blew off several sheets which fell to the ground about 9m below. A building and a car were damaged but thankfully no one was hurt, although the potential for personal injury or death was significant.

A reporter describes a problem that arose during the construction stage of a project when a steel frame supporting pipe and cable racks was loaded before the frame baseplates were grouted.

This report concerns the bending and rebending of starter bars on site during the construction of a multi storey tower. The reporter considered that such a practice could compromise the structure under extreme load conditions.

During a site visit, the permanent works design engineer noticed that hydro-demolition of the end of a floor supporting beam had taken place out of sequence. This introduced a pattern of bending moments and shear forces that were not considered in the original design.

During the final construction phase of a reinforced concrete bridge deck, the contractor installed the elastomeric bridge bearing pads using a non-approved and potentially dangerous methodology.

A ceiling in a retail setting was designed to be faced with reflective finish panels. The contractor proposed stainless steel bonded to MDF with folded edges and concealed mechanical restraint. The designer overruled the contractor and selected an adhesive-only solution which was implemented. Some months later, several panels failed, with some stainless steel facings falling to the floor.

Bridge strengthening being carried out using blind bolts left a structure in an unsafe condition with traffic loading on it.

A reporter has experienced the failure of cantilever parapet falsework twice, for different reasons, using two different products during bridge construction.

A reporter writes with concerns about a repeat failure of building cladding, in severe but not exceptional winds, that saw panels fall to the public street below.