Here’s what investigators will look at after 3 die in Charlotte scaffolding collapse
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Charlotte Scaffolding Collapse
On Jan. 2, 2023, scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Charlotte, killing three workers.
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As an investigation that could take months begins to unfold into a deadly Charlotte construction incident, workplace safety and construction law experts said a number of crucial questions remain.
Three workers died Monday after a scaffolding collapsed on the construction site of an apartment project at 711 E. Morehead St. The investigation by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and the state Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division will continue to seek answers into the workplace deaths.
At least 16 people have died in scaffolding accidents in the state in the last 10 years, a Charlotte Observer analysis of Occupational Safety and Health Administration records found.
The site of Monday’s incident happened along a stretch of East Morehead Street that’s teeming with construction crews.
On Tuesday, signs of the city’s growth were evident as crews were busy at work on Radius Dilworth, a two-tower project that will include 626 apartments. Down the block, more crews were building Village on Morehead, which will have around 200 senior housing units.
But activity remained halted at the building where the workers died.
Here are some questions that investigators will be focusing on, and other takeaways about their work, according to interviews with three experts in construction law, building design and workplace safety consulting.
Investigators look at documentation
State and local investigators will want to speak to the general contractor along with anyone who witnessed the collapse, said Julia Kunlo, president of Raleigh-based workplace safety consulting firm Evolution Safety Resources.
“Safety is the first thing talked about when entering a site each day,” Kunlo said. Her firm helps companies comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and helps create safety programs.
Evolution also conducts mock OSHA inspections to help companies identify weaknesses when it comes to safety compliance ahead of any official visits by the federal agency.
The ‘toolbox talk’
Safety discussions on construction work sites likely include what’s known as a “toolbox talk.” Crews go over topics on anything that could pose a hazard to worker safety, Kunlo said.
Other federal safety standards include an activity hazard analysis. That analysis looks at the tasks being performed on site, the hazards associated with them and steps the workers are taking to mitigate those hazards.
State and local investigators will want to review this sort of documentation as it seeks to figure out what led up to scaffolding collapse, Kunlo said.
When it comes to scaffolding, investigators will be asking when it had been inspected last.
They’ll also want to know if there was someone “scaffolding competent” on site. That title is given by the employer to someone who can identify hazards with a piece of equipment and has the authority to stop work if he or she sees something unsafe.
Investigators typically walk through sites where serious incidents have occurred.
Interviewing employees is important because it adds a layer to the investigation beyond just any documentation provided, Kunlo said.
“Even if it was perfect on paper doesn’t mean it was perfect in the field,” she said.
Ultimately, investigators will want to pin down a root cause and identify system deficiencies that were in place that led to the deaths.
It could take weeks or months for investigators to release their findings on the deadly collapse.
‘A lot of things can go wrong in construction’
Dennis Hall would start his investigation with looking at who installed the scaffolding. He founded HALL AEC, an architectural and consulting firm based in Charlotte.
Hall would want to look at what type of scaffolding was used and figure out if it was properly installed and then properly used.
“A lot of things can go wrong in construction and do go wrong,” Hall said. “It’s dangerous.”
The construction industry is focused on safety and training, especially on larger commercial projects, said Greg Shelton, a construction lawyer who runs Shelton Law Carolinas. Safety language is typically baked into contracts on these larger projects.
Companies don’t want to see anyone get hurt, he said. Plus, there is the financial incentives to avoid workplace incidents. Any incident is going to increase insurance rates and make it more costly to get policies, he said.
Correction: A previous version of this story included an image that incorrectly identified the building where the fatal incident occurred. It has been updated.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 5:50 AM with the headline "Here’s what investigators will look at after 3 die in Charlotte scaffolding collapse."
