DEL.ICIO.USOSHA won’t investigate parking deck collapse
Atlanta Fire unsure who will
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will not investigate the collapsed midtown Atlanta parking deck.
On June 29, a portion of four floors of the Centergy garage at Fifth and Springs streets collapsed. Atlanta firefighters spent six days searching the rubble and removing crumpled cars. No injuries were reported.
John Spink/jspink@ajc.com
Atlanta firefighters spent six days searching the parking deck rubble and removing crumpled cars.
Visuals:
• Cars, concrete removed Wednesday
• Big picture of parking deck
• Parking deck collapses
• Cars destroyed
• Video
• Map of area
Stories
• Car removal may be complete Thursday • UGA inpsecting garages as search of parking deck continues
• Owners reunited with crushed cars
• Garage builder fined in walkway collapse
• How to find your car
Throughout the search, Atlanta Fire said the cause of the collapse would be determined by OSHA.
On Tuesday, OSHA said it will not conduct an investigation.
“OSHA’s mission is to assure the safety and health of America’s working men and women by preventing injuries, illnesses and fatalities,” said Michael Wald, a spokesman for OSHA in Atlanta. “OSHA’s regulations apply only to the employer-employee relationship and not to employer activities that can affect the general public.”
OSHA crews were on scene at the collapsed garage while 300 emergency workers from throughout Georgia searched the garage. OSHA was there to ensure the recovery was done safely, Wald said.
A spokesman for Atlanta Fire said Tuesday that firefighters will not conduct an investigation and did not know who would determine the cause of the collapse.
Initial reports indicated a spandrel beam, an exterior beam that marks the floor level between stories, may have popped out.
As of Tuesday, the garage remained closed to the public and security guards surrounded it. At least two dozen damaged cars removed from the rubble remained unclaimed at a parking lot at Eighth and Spring streets.
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