OSHA Report Alleges Multiple Failures Leading To Miami Bridge Collapse

Structural design deficiencies, failure to recognize the magnitude of widening cracks, oversights by the design build contractor, and failure to close a Miami street underneath a bridge are just a few of the problems that contributed to the deaths of one employee and five motorists and the permanent disability of another employee when the structure collapsed last year, according to a new report. The OSHA document details a series of failed actions that led to the tragedy.

The pedestrian bridge was under construction to connect the Florida International University’s Miami campus with the City of Sweetwater when it collapsed on March 15, 2018. Motorists waiting at a traffic light underneath the bridge were crushed.

Officials from OSHA’s Fort Lauderdale Area Office worked with a forensic structural engineer from the agency’s Directorate of Construction, Office of Engineering Services “to determine the cause of the collapse and whether industry or OSHA standards were violated.”

The report lays blame on many parties involved, including FIU and the Florida Department of Transportation, both of which it said did not demand an independent review of the conclusions by the engineer of record on the morning of the collapse.