Truss Disaster

[Three Stooges Racing]

Crane shows up at 6am on time.

Carpenters show up 30min later 1 man short ,and I think hungover.

By 8:30am we have 8 trusses up and are just starting to get a rythem.

Crane operator had to leave for a parade (Shriner).

Just then 8 trusses and the carpenters helper come crashing down 12'

Damage includes 4 broken trusses $600
1 broken Paslode gun $400
1 dislocated sholder $ ?
1 broken sholder $ ?
1 broken wrist $ ?
4 extra hours crane time $320
2 helpers on short notice $230

TOTAL


And we still have a bunch of trusses left to set.

I'm going to have and try to get past this mess.

Oh and it was like fricken Africa hot today.

 

[bmwpower]

Dang, that *****. I thought for sure I was going to fall when we placed my trusses...14 foot+ high no less.

So did you have 8 trusses on the hoist at the time or did the guy push them over domino style before he fell? Curious, who's fault was it?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Hindsight is 20-20. Crane operator should have come prepared to work till it was too dark to see. Idea of showing up and later having to leave is bad plan. Probably should have called off whole thing when less than enough help showed up. Sounds like someone wasn't diagional bracing and toenailing properly or they would have been stable enough.

Hate to be critical, sorry anyone got hurt and luckly no one was killed, they easily could have been, but accidents don't just happen and rarely are they the result of a single failure, but the culmination of a multitude of little failures.

Charles

 

[REFLEXX]

Pics. Please???

Was this today? on the 4th? That's odd.

are these guys licensed? Otherwise your homowners insurance might be taking a big hit!

 

[Three Stooges Racing]

Hindsight is 20-20. Crane operator should have come prepared to work till it was too dark to see. Idea of showing up and later having to leave is bad plan. Probably should have called off whole thing when less than enough help showed up. Sounds like someone wasn't diagional bracing and toenailing properly or they would have been stable enough.

Hate to be critical, sorry anyone got hurt and luckly no one was killed, they easily could have been, but accidents don't just happen and rarely are they the result of a single failure, but the culmination of a multitude of little failures.

Charles

I knew the crane operators schedule,he and I knew each other frow previous business,I used to be a tool truck guy.

Yes, I should have called the day off when we were short a man. We had 2 men up top and I was holding the tag line..

The helper was told to put up the verticle braces to support the first truss and each one was supported off of it. He missed the wall studs and the nails for the braces were only in the sheathing. He also only nailed the first brace to 1 of the 3 braces. He leaned the wrong way and all 8 fell like dominos.

In his defence he had not done truss work before and hisboss should have checked behind him on something so important.

The were not self insured.So I have already contacted my insurance company.

We got the mess cleaned up and now have 9 trusses up.

He was very lucky they had already done some interior framing, he fell near a wall that protected him from more of the trusses falling on him.

New trusses will be here at the end of the week and we have a 5 man experianced crew lined up to set them.

 

[autoist]

Now come the lawsuits - do you have a good lawyer? & not your insurance company's lawyer - yours.

 

[396ss360hp]

Dang man, We must be related!!!!! Hope it works out for you!

 

[bmwpower]

Oh, man, he should have took it upon himself to step down from that job if he had no experience. Sounds like he had minimal general framing experience, too by the way he was nailing things.

Glad that things are looking up for this project now, though.

 

[Three Stooges Racing]

Now come the lawsuits - do you have a good lawyer? & not your insurance company's lawyer - yours.

No lawyer,he claimes that he knows it was his fault. He also hasn't recieved any med. bills yet,so his perception is subject to change.

After I got back from taking him to the emergency room I took pics. and shot video of the carnage before anyone moved anything. It clearly showes that they were not secured properly.

I did not give anyone any instructions on what to put where or how to brace anything.

At this point I'm optimistic that this will all pass and that we can resume construction by end of the week.

During the afternoon crane session I was the one in the middle of the span doing the bracing. I can't believe he was trying to manuver up there with as little bracing as he had done. The trusses 40' x 8' tall are very flimsy until they are braced together well. I made everyone wait until I felt the truss was secure before I let the crane unhook and bring the next truss.

This was my first time doing truss hanging and it is more time consuming than I thought it would be.

But it aint rocket science and anyone who has framing experiance should have been smart enough to know weather or not what they are walking on is secure.Had he atleast secured the trusses to each other well using angles they would not have fallen. He had a Paslode (cordless framing gun) and all the 2x4's he needed.Any way I don't need to rant. Sh&t happens and it's very easy to see the past clearly. Imagine the regrets he is having.

The wind is currently blowing pretty good and the trusses are hardly moving.

I'll keep ya'll posted on the saga.

Thanks for letting me vent.
]
Mike

 

[GearHead_1]

Do you have construction insurance? Someone mentioned home owners insurance but I would assume that isn't for the new home.

 

[Three Stooges Racing]

No construction insurance,fingers crossed.

 

[ChucksCrib]

It's called bad karma................change your screen name

 

[GearHead_1]

No construction insurance,fingers crossed.

I hope the man that was injured is a man of ethics, you'll be in my prayers.