Large steel beam fell from highrise under construction
Date of incident: August 2022
Notice of incident number: 2022178050011
Employer: Construction company
Incident summary
A tower crane was lifting an 11.7 m (38 ft. 4½ in.) long steel beam, with a weight of approximately 7 200 kg (16,000 lb.), up to level 22 of a commercial highrise construction site. Once the beam reached level 22, one of the two 6 m (20 ft.) polyester round slings holding the beam was partially severed. The second sling was then also partially severed, and the beam fell from level 22. The beam struck a thrust-out platform on level 20, swung across the street, and hit the parkade of the building next door. It came to rest in front of the parkade, between the parkade and the sidewalk. No workers or other persons at or near the workplace were injured.
Investigation conclusions
Cause
- Slings were inadequately protected from beam edges. The polyester round slings used to lift the beam were not adequately protected from the sharp edges of the beam. The softeners (edge protectors) used to protect the sling from the beam were makeshift and not manufactured as required. As a result, the slings were partially severed by the sharp beam edge and the beam fell from level 22 of the highrise under construction to the ground below.
Contributing factors
- Inadequate hazard identification and risk assessment. Although hazard identifications and risk assessments were completed on the day of the incident, the sharp edge on the beam and the inadequate edge protection were not identified by any of the workers involved in the lift. The employer did not recognize that the edges of the beam were sharp and that adequate edge protection was required. The employer failed to provide instruction to the worker who was rigging the beam on how to adequately protect the slings from the sharp edges of the beam.
- Failure to follow manufacturer’s instructions. The sling manufacturer’s instructions, which were provided with the slings, stated to use sling protection that has been designed, tested, and rated by the manufacturer. The softeners being used at the time of the incident did not meet this requirement.