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bigbishywah  
#1 Posted : 06 October 2014 22:40:39(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
bigbishywah

Can anyone help me? I'm trying to work out if the collapse of roof trusses is reportable as a dangerous occurrence under para 23 or 24 of schedule 2.

The trusses were all in place and due to strong winds they collapsed causing a gable end to collapse no the scaffold to buckle. Nothing has actually fallen, no one was injured, the site was empty.

It looks like the temporary bracing failed. Would this be classed as a false work collapse?
jfw  
#2 Posted : 07 October 2014 07:58:42(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
jfw


Have you looked at para 18 of schedule 2 ?

From your brief description, the damage to the scaffold may make the incident reportable, regardless of the structural collapse.
achrn  
#3 Posted : 07 October 2014 08:33:55(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
achrn

I don't understand how a gable end and several trusses can have collapsed if nothing has fallen - what do you mean by 'collapse' and 'fallen'? How does something collapse without falling?

The BS for falsework (BS EN 12812) defines falsework as "temporary support for a part of a structure while it is not self-supporting and for associated service loads". It doesn't define 'support' but does talk about resisting wind loads.

bigbishywah  
#4 Posted : 07 October 2014 09:09:40(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
bigbishywah

that's my grasp of grammar for you!! the trusses are still in place, but have leaned aginst the gable end which has pushed the scaffold, nothing actually 'fell out' of or off the roof.

I reckon it will be reportable as its obvious the bracing has failed. Thanks for your reply!!
Alan O Hagan  
#5 Posted : 07 October 2014 09:38:42(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Alan O Hagan

Hi, very difficult to determine from the description but the following from RIDDOR suggests it would be reportable
Structural collapse

23. The unintentional collapse or partial collapse of—

(a)

any structure, which involves a fall of more than 5 tonnes of material; or
.

(b)

any floor or wall of any place of work,
.
arising from, or in connection with, ongoing construction work (including demolition, refurbishment and maintenance), whether above or below ground.

achrn  
#6 Posted : 07 October 2014 11:39:05(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
achrn

bigbishywah wrote:
that's my grasp of grammar for you!! the trusses are still in place, but have leaned aginst the gable end which has pushed the scaffold, nothing actually 'fell out' of or off the roof.

I reckon it will be reportable as its obvious the bracing has failed. Thanks for your reply!!


I think I would report it.

Regarding the choice of words, it's a bit academic, but I don't think I would have called that a collapse, but I might say the trusses had fallen, because the trusses are still whole and intact but have fallen over (even if not fallen all the way down to the ground).

Anyhow, I think it is a failure of a temporary support that could have given rise to a serious injury or fatality had it occurred at a different time of day, so would report it under the 'collapse of any firework' item. That is, I'd say the trusses didn't collapse, but the bracing did.
Steve e ashton  
#7 Posted : 07 October 2014 15:28:38(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Steve e ashton

As above, yes its reportable under RISSOR as failure of falsework see schedule 2 of the regs... This is one of the commonest causes of failure during construction or demolition because it is rarely accorded the same design / engineering considerations as may be given to the final structure... Also note para 104 of the CDM ACoP regarding design of temporary works including falsework...

The CROSS scheme should also be of interest - well worth a periodic browse here: http://www.structural-safety.org/ ....
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