Indianna state fair stage collapse

[lane912]

OSHA has levied penalties for safety violations connected with the collapse

DOL: Media Center


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robert E. Dittmer, APR
317.234.3793
FATAL INJURIES AT 2011 INDIANA STATE FAIR RESULT IN SAFETY VIOLATIONS ASSESSED AGAINST THREE ORGANIZATIONS
INDIANAPOLIS (February 8, 2012) – The Indiana Department of Labor announced today it is citing three organizations involved in the Indiana State Fair accident on August 13, 2011 that resulted in fatal injuries of seven people including two employees. The IOSHA investigation resulted in the following:
1. A Safety Order was issued to the Indiana State Fair Commission citing them for a “serious violation” for failure to conduct a life safety evaluation that included an assessment of all conditions and the related appropriate safety measures of the Indiana State Fairgrounds concert venues at the 2011 Indiana State Fair. A penalty of $6,300 was assessed.
2. A Safety Order was issued to Local 30 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees including Theatrical Payroll Services, Inc. for three (3) “serious violations” and one (1) “non-serious violation.” Citations included failure to consider soil conditions when placing cable anchor points for the grandstand stage; failure to provide fall protection for employees working 4 feet or more above ground level; and, failure to conduct a personal protective equipment hazard assessment of the worksite to determine the personal protective equipment required while erecting the load bearing roof and the grandstand. The non-serious violation involved failure to maintain proper OSHA records for four years.
Penalties of $3,500 were assessed for each serious violation, and a penalty of $1,000 was assessed for the non-serious violation. Total penalties assessed were $11,500.
3. A Safety Order was issued to Mid-America Sound Corporation for three (3) “knowing violations.” These violations included failure to develop and implement an Operations Management Plan, the failure to develop a risk assessment plan, failure to maintain and use current engineering calculations and documentation, and failure to provide appropriate, qualified supervision.
Each knowing violation was assessed a penalty of $21,000. Total penalty assessed was $63,000.
“The Indiana Department of Labor, through its Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, undertook a 6-month investigation of whether any health or safety standards that were owed to employees on the premises were violated,” noted Commissioner Lori A. Torres.
“The investigation does not address duties to the public and it was not an investigation of causation. IOSHA does not as standard practice establish causation. When an employee is killed while working,
Indiana law establishes a duty on the employer to ensure that fatality is reported. IOSHA then determines whether it falls within its jurisdiction to investigate that fatality. The investigation is conducted to determine if established safety standards were violated by any employer on site. Because two employees were killed as a result of the collapse of the load bearing roof, an IOSHA investigation was initiated.”
“We have issued knowing citations to Mid-America Sound Corporation, which indicates the most serious safety violation,” said Commissioner Torres during a morning news briefing at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. “The evidence demonstrated that the Mid-America Sound Corporation was aware of the appropriate requirements and demonstrated a plain indifference to complying with those requirements.”
“The State Fair Commission failed to have conducted an adequate life safety evaluation and plan prior to the event,” noted Commissioner Torres. “The commission simply did not establish and maintain conditions of work for its employees that were reasonably safe and free from recognized hazards.”
She also noted that IATSE Local 30 clearly acted as an employer and failed to take proper safety precautions for employees and failed to take appropriate steps to ensure the load bearing roof was properly secured.
Maximum penalties that may be assessed under Indiana law are: Non-Serious Violation: $7,000 Serious Violation: $7,000 Knowing Violation: $70,000
Each organization was informed of the investigation findings this week prior to the 10 a.m. news briefing. Each will have 15 business days, by Indiana law, to pay the penalties or to contest them to the Indiana Board of Safety Review. All violations require abatement by March 6, 2012.
Indiana law requires that IOSHA investigations be conducted within 6 months of the date of the fatality. The investigation took 175 days and involved more than 2,000 man hours.
A copy of the safety orders are available on the Indiana Department of Labor’s website at: DOL: Media Center.
### __________________________________________________ ________________________________________ About the Indiana Department of Labor: The mission of the Indiana Department of Labor is to advance the safety, health and prosperity of Hoosiers in the workplace. In order to make significant strides, we emphasize both enforcement and compliance assistance by employers. DOL: Home.

[lane912]

Media Contact: Robert E. Dittmer, APR, 317.234.3793
Indiana Department of Labor – IOSHA Division
SUMMARY SHEET
FATAL INJURY INVESTIGATION OUTCOME: Indiana State Fair (workplace)
IOSHA found that the Local 30 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees including Theatrical Payroll Services did not establish and maintain conditions of work which were reasonably safe and healthful for employees, and free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or physical harm to employees. Therefore, the following safety violations are issued:
Serious Violation 1: IATSE’s head rigger, required to make determinations on the construction and guy wire attachment points and placement of anchors on the load bearing roof structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not take into consideration the soil conditions at the location. A $3,500.00 penalty has been assessed.
Serious Violation 2: Employees working at the Indiana State Fair Grounds, erecting the load bearing roof at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand for the 2011 Indiana State Fair were not provided with fall protection from their employer for employees working 4 feet or more above ground level. A $3,500 penalty has been assessed.
Serious Violation 3: The employer did not conduct a personal protective equipment hazard assessment of the work site to determine the personal protective equipment required when erecting the load bearing roof or any other jobs they perform at the Indiana State Fair grounds. A $3,500 penalty has been assessed.
Non-Serious Violation 4: (SO #2) The employer did not maintain the OSHA 300 and did not have records of an OSHA 300A for the years 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008. A $1,000 penalty has been assessed.
Total penalties assessed: $11,500. Abatement is required on all violations no later than 03/06/2012. The maximum allowable penalty under Indiana law for a Serious violation is $7,000. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees including Theatrical Payroll Services was notified of the findings if this investigation prior to the media briefing.
Additional Resources: Online media kit (safety order, news release, fact sheets)
DOL: Media Center

[lane912]

Media Contact: Robert E. Dittmer, APR, 317.234.3793
Indiana Department of Labor – IOSHA Division
SUMMARY SHEET
FATAL INJURY INVESTIGATION OUTCOME: Indiana State Fair (workplace)
IOSHA found that the Mid-America Sound Corporation, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not establish and maintain conditions of work which were reasonably safe and healthful for employees, and free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or physical harm to employees. Therefore, the following safety violations are issued:
Knowing Violation 1:
a) Mid-America Sound did not develop and implement an Operations Management Plan pertaining to the construction of the 2011 structure.
b) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not prepare proper layout drawings, engineering documentation, and Operations Management Plan for each use.
c) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not develop a risk assessment plan and make workers aware of the hazards pertaining to the construction of the 2011 structure.
d) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not conduct periodic inspections by a qualified person, with appropriate documentation, on the structure constructed at the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand.
e) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not keep records for each structural component pertaining to the 2011 structure. A $21,000 penalty has been assessed.
Knowing Violation 2:
a) Mid-America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not provide cross-bracing as recommended by the manufacturer.
b) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not take into consideration the soil conditions at the location.
c) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not designate a competent person. A $21,000 penalty has been assessed.
Knowing Violation 3:
a) Mid-America Sound did not have current engineering calculations, design notes, and test results for the structure constructed at the 2011 Hoosier Lottery grandstand.
b) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not have adequate knowledge of the engineering documentation pertaining to the construction of the 2011 structure.
c) Mid America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not take into full consideration weights of all equipment including but not limited to follow-spot chair, temporary personnel occupancy and reactions from fall protection systems pertaining to the 2011 structure. A $21,000 penalty has been assessed.
Total penalties assessed: $63,000. Abatement is required on all violations no later than 03/06/2012. The maximum allowable penalty under Indiana law for a Knowing violation is $70,000. Mid-America Sound Corporation was notified of the findings if this investigation prior to the media briefing.
Additional Resources: Online media kit (safety order, news release, fact sheets)
DOL: Media Center

[widgeon13]

This will make it hard for the legal action to go away.

[lane912]

this is like pressing the legal action button

folks with deep pockets and shallow ones have been named comitting safety violations-

"Serious Violation 1: IATSE’s head rigger, required to make determinations on the construction and guy wire attachment points and placement of anchors on the load bearing roof structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not take into consideration the soil conditions at the location."
this guy has no pockets

[strupgolf]

Being there like my firend was, and seeing the impending storm, there was no resone why the stage and the grounds were not evacuated is beyoud beliefe. The weather was terrible coming in from the west, lighting, winds, storms. The entire blame is on the D/E of the faregounds for her lack of understanding of the events.

[Hugh R]

) Mid-America Sound, contracted to construct the Load Bearing Roof Structure on the 2011 Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage, did not provide cross-bracing as recommended by the manufacturer.

I stated this when this first happened.

[lane912]

now we know what happened, final structural report....
IN.gov: Investigative Reports

The ISF Structure failure was due to the inadequate capacity of
the lateral load resisting system, which was comprised of guy
lines connected to concrete “Jersey barrier” ballast.

The ISF Structure was shown to fail at wind speeds lower than
those specified under even the most liberal provisions of
applicable building codes and reference standards.

The ISF Structure was shown to fail at wind speeds lower than
those specified under even the most liberal provisions of
applicable building codes and reference standards.

Calculations and in.situ physical testing determined the Jersey
barrier ballast system had grossly inadequate capacity to resist
both the minimum code.specified wind speed and the actual
wind speed that was present at the time of the failure.

Even if the ballast system had provided sufficient resistance,
the synthetic webbing ratchet straps and wire rope guy lines
used did not have sufficient strength to resist forces resulting
from the North wind case under the wind loads of August 13,
2011 that were of a smaller magnitude than the code.specified
requirements.

The technical information presented in the James Thomas
Engineering catalog is insufficient to adequately design a
structure such as the ISF Structure, yet there is no explicit
direction to engage the services of a licensed design
professional to analyze complex loading configurations or
conditions.

Structural analysis performed by James Thomas Engineering’s
structural engineer falls short of adequately addressing the
actual loading conditions of the Sugarland set and suspended
entertainment technology equipment for the 2010 show (for
which the structure was analyzed) or the code.defined
environmental loading conditions to which the ISF Structure
could be subjected.

There is no evidence of an engineering review of the “2011
Sugarland Rigging Plot” by a licensed design professional prior
to August 13, 2011.

Regardless of the inadequacy of the directions of James
Thomas Engineering’s structural engineer, Mid America Sound
Corporation’s installation of the ISF Structure deviated from the
directions provided in the calculations performed by that
structural engineer with regard to the lateral load resisting
system.

[nota]

it always flows down hill

the state fair gets a wrist slap fine
union get a mid-level fine
and they load up on the sub-contractor

[Porsche-O-Phile]

That's why they're bonded and insured - or are supposed to be.