Scaffolding: Safety, Design, and Construction Issues

Abstract

On March 9, 2002, three women were killed when a suspended scaffold fell from the 42nd floor on their car during high winds. Eight others were injured, of whom one who later died. The scaffolding was used by a facade cleaning and window-caulking crew working on the exterior of the 100-story John Hancock building, Chicago’s third-tallest building. The scaffold was stored at the 43rd floor. The accident occurred when a wind gust exceeded 58 mph according to the National Weather Service and no work was under way. But after breaking loose from the tower, a portion of a suspended aluminum platform fell 42 stories to the street. A section of the staging remained suspended from the adjacent face of the building. Windows were smashed in the incident Fig. 1 . This narrative briefly compares the 2002 Chicago Municipal Code related to scaffolding before and after the accident. The main purpose of this narrative is to provide a forum for further discussions within the structural engineering community on scaffolding safety, design, and construction issues.