M1 Bridge Collapse - Grayston Drive

[schumi]

Expert witness in deadly Johannesburg M1 bridge collapse denies bias

Johannesburg – An expert witness from Australia has told the commission investigating the deadly 2015 M1 bridge collapse that he approached his modelling with an open mind and sound judgement, the labour department said on Friday.

In a statement issued on Friday, the department said Form-Scarf expert witness and mechanical engineer Gary Farrow said: "I did not prejudge evidence in view of evidence on site.

"My mandate was configuration of the temporary structure and ascertains the causes of collapse."

Farrow took the stand on Tuesday and told the commission that, although he had limited access to contracts between Form-Scaff and Murray & Roberts, his "analysis of the fatal site disproves insinuations that he was biased in favour of his employer", according to department spokesperson Mokgadi Pela.

Pela said Farrow had been accused by Murray and Roberts of being biased in his modelling, which he allegedly denied.

Two killed

He said during the inquiry, Murray and Roberts said it wanted all inputs and outputs that were modelled.

After the four day inquiry, Farrow was ordered to return to South Africa on August 29 to provide certain crucial evidence required by Murray and Roberts, the principal contractor, said Pela.

The structure collapsed onto the M1 at Grayston Drive around 15:30 on Wednesday, October 14.

The driver of a minibus taxi and a man in a Toyota Fortuner were killed and 19 people were injured.

The scaffolding that collapsed was a support structure for what was intended to be a pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting Alexandra and Sandton.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...sburg-m1-bridge-collapse-denies-bias-20160805

 

[schumi]

Grayston bridge collapse inquiry on hold

Johannesburg - The Department of Labour on Monday said the inquiry into the collapse of the temporary bridge structure on Johannesburg’s M1/Grayston Drive, which left two people dead and 19 others injured, had been postponed to next year.

“The next sitting of the Inquiry is now pencilled for 27-31 March 2017,” said Mokgadi Pela the deparment’s Director: Media Liaison, Marketing and Advertising.

After the M1/Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapsed on 14 October last year, the department set up the Section 32 Inquiry to uncover the causes for the collapse of the scaffolding work into the Grayston Drive Pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge.

Presiding officer Lennie Samuel on Monday dismissed the sitting of the commission of inquiry until next year following a “short notice” request for additional information from an expert witness representing Form-Scaff.

Samuel said Gary Farrow, a mechanical engineer from Australia, was in Melbourne and unable to come to South Africa because Murray & Roberts had requested additional information from Form-Scaff’s expert witness. The witness could not deliver the requested information in time for the sitting.

More at: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/grayston-bridge-collapse-inquiry-on-hold-2062184

 

[schumi]

Dept working to ensure Grayston Bridge collapse inquiry resumes

JOHANNESBURG - The Labour Department says it's working to ensure that systems are in place for the M1 Grayston Bridge collapse inquiry to continue next month.

On Tuesday, the department announced the hearing into the matter scheduled for the end of this month had once again been postponed due to technical challenges.

More at: ewn.co.za/2017/03/15/officials-to-ensure-grayston-bridge-collapse-inquiry-continues-after-major-delays

 

[schumi]

No date set yet for hearing into Grayston bridge collapse

JOHANNESBURG – The Labour Department says while it sympathises with the families of those killed in the Grayston bridge collapse, it cannot release a date yet for the inquiry to begin.

It’s been almost two years since the scaffolding used by a construction company Murray & Roberts collapsed on the M1 highway, killing two people and injuring 19.

The family of one of the victims has slammed the delay.

The Labour Department’s Teboho Thejane says the delay is as a result of getting all parties involved present at the inquiry.

More at: http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/30/no-date-set-yet-for-hearing-into-grayston-bridge-collapse

 

[blunomore]

No regard for the pain and suffering of others. Well done, government.

 

[schumi]

Grayston bridge collapse victim's family battling to find closure

JOHANNESBURG - The brother of a man killed in the Grayston bridge collapse has told Eyewitness News that he’s battling to find closure as the inquiry into his brother's death keeps being postponed.

Siyabonga Myeni, who was a taxi driver, was one of two people killed when scaffolding used by construction company Murray & Roberts collapsed on the M1 highway almost two years ago.

His brother Bhekokwakhe Myeni says government has continued to make promises to get the inquiry underway and compensate the family, but it has not explained why the matter keeps being postponed.

More at: http://ewn.co.za/2017/05/30/grayston-bridge-inquiry-delays-affecting-victim-s-family

 

[schumi]

Inquiry into M1 bridge collapse postponed again

JOHANNESBURG - There's been yet another delay on the first day back at the M1 Grayston Bridge inquiry.

The matter has been postponed to Tuesday after an expert from building material company Formscaff presented new evidence.

Two people were killed and 19 others were injured when the scaffolding around the temporary bridge caved in on the busy Johannesburg highway in 2015.

The inquiry resumed with the cross-examination of an expert from Formscaff.

The engineering expert has presented new evidence, relating to what may have caused the temporary structure around the pedestrian bridge to cave in.

The inquiry has experienced several delays since the deadly collapse almost two years ago.

More at : http://ewn.co.za/2017/09/26/inquiry-into-m1-bridge-collapse-postponed-again

 

[supersunbird]

Inquiry into M1 bridge collapse postponed again



More at : http://ewn.co.za/2017/09/26/inquiry-into-m1-bridge-collapse-postponed-again

Postponed to next week Tuesday then? Cause yesterday was Tuesday...

 

[schumi]

Makhura slams delays in Grayston bridge collapse inquiry

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has condemned the series of delays in the inquiry into the collapse of the Grayston bridge in Sandton, northern Johannesburg.

Two people were killed and 19 injured when the bridge over the M1 freeway and Grayston interchange collapsed on October 14 2015.

The inquiry into the cause of the collapse was set up by the Department of Labour.

Murray & Roberts Infrastructure was the principal contractor appointed by the Johannesburg Development Agency to build the bridge.

The first sitting of the inquiry was on July 7 last year.

Makhura said the progress of the inquiry had been slow, causing consternation among the those affected and public concern regarding accountability. The inquiry has been postponed several times.

More at: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/so...s-delays-in-grayston-bridge-collapse-inquiry/

 

[schumi]

Family of taxi driver left destitute after M1 bridge collapse

Johannesburg - When the M1 bridge collapsed two years ago, not only did it take the life of taxi driver Siyabonga Myeni, but it also split his family.

Lobola negotiations between his family and that of his fiancée in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, which were meant to be concluded in December 2015, two months after his death, had to be called off.

Myeni’s family in KwaNongoma also last saw his two children raised by their mothers in Johannesburg on the day of his funeral.

Myeni was one of two people killed when the pedestrian bridge near Sandton’s Grayston Drive off-ramp collapsed as he was travelling from Sunninghill to Johannesburg. Myeni, 25, died on the scene. His body was found under the metal rubble.

Adrian Doodnath, a Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal man who was visiting relatives, died after the scaffolding fell on his car.

Myeni’s death put his family in a difficult financial position, if not on the brink of total collapse.

More at: https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-af...t-destitute-after-m1-bridge-collapse-11564952

 

[schumi]

Anger at delays in bridge collapse inquiry

Johannesburg - A victim of the M1 bridge collapse, which claimed two lives and left 19 others injured, is angry that hearings into the events of that day have been postponed to 2018.

Tomorrow, 14 October, will be two years since the temporary pedestrian bridge collapsed, however, victims are far from getting closure or knowing what caused the accident because last month the inquiry was postponed to July. The process is due to continue until September.

Following the collapse, the Department of Labour set up a Section 23 inquiry and, to date, five expert witnesses have appeared before the inquiry. They include an expert witness from Form-Scaff, Garry Farrow, and civil engineer Richard Beneke, Ric Snowden and Dr Stefanus Francois van Zyl, all representing the construction company Murray & Roberts.

One victim, Irvin Katangane, 23, said the postponement made him feel like those tasked with finding out what happened did not care.

“Everyone who was affected by the accident didn’t wake up and ask the bridge to fall on them. If they keep on postponing, what do they want us to think?"

More at: https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/anger-at-delays-in-bridge-collapse-inquiry-11564487

 

[schumi]

New presiding officer for Grayston bridge collapse inquiry announced

Pretoria - Phumudzo Maphaha has been appointed as the new presiding officer of the Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse inquiry.

Maphaha's appointment was announced on Thursday by Tibor Szana, chief inspector at the department of labour.

Maphaha will take over from Lennie Samuel, who has been presiding since the inquiry was set up in 2015.

Szana said Samuel had taken ill and was no longer in a position to continue presiding over the inquiry.

"I have subsequently appointed Mr PO Maphaha as the presiding inspector to take over from Mr Samuel due to the gravity of his illness," Szana said.

The section 32 hearing was set up by the department to investigate negligence that may have resulted in occupational injuries and deaths of people, Teboho Thejane, spokesperson for the department said in a statement.

Last sat in September

"This followed a 14 October 2015 incident which happened at approximately 15:25 and led to the deaths of two people and injury to 19 persons."

The Grayston Inquiry, which had its first sitting in February 2016, last sat on September 27, 2017.

It was postponed to July 2018.

The inquiry was set up to investigate, among other things, the responsibility of the client in terms of construction regulations and the responsibility of the principal constructor in terms of the construction regulations and as an employer.

Stakeholders in the inquiry include the Johannesburg municipality as the client; the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) as the agent, the Royal HaskoningDHV - an engineering company appointed by the JDA - as the engineering agent for the project, Murray & Roberts (MR) Infrastructure as the principal contractor appointed by JDA, Form-Scaff as the contractor appointed by MR, the people or person injured in the incident, the Engineering Council of South Africa and the National Union of Mineworkers, which is representing MR employees affiliated to the union.

Maphaha previously presided over the Tongaat Mall Structural Collapse Inquiry and the Meyersdal Structural Collapse Incident Inquiry.

News24
https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...on-bridge-collapse-inquiry-announced-20180309

 

[WaxLyrical]

Classic case of Passing the buck and playing for time.

 

[Tokolotshe]

Classic case of Passing the buck and playing for time.

At the rate this is progressing, we have assured jobs for at least three generations.

 

[schumi]

Families of victims to finally learn why Grayston Bridge collapsed

The Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse inquiry set up by the Department of Labour is scheduled to resume on Monday with testimony from the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA).

Two people died when the bridge collapsed onto two vehicles on October 14‚ 2015. A further 19 people were injured.

The victims were KwaZulu-Natal businessman Adrian Doodnath‚ 27‚ who was travelling with his wife‚ his parents and a cousin when he was killed as the scaffolding collapsed on their Fortuner. He was laid to rest in a gold-plated coffin‚ and his funeral procession included two Chrysler 300C limos.

Taxi driver Siyabonga Myeni‚ originally from Kwanongoma in KZN‚ died when a beam pierced his chest. The maskandi music fan was survived by five children‚ his parents and three siblings. His family said "he lived for his children".

The passengers he was transporting from Sunninghill to the Johannesburg CBD were injured.

More at : https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/so...-they-had-to-die-in-grayston-bridge-collapse/

 

[Gordon_R]

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...-for-collapse-of-temporary-structure-20180704

The man, who acted as the contract manager and engineer at the site of the Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist bridge project, has "accepted responsibility for the collapse of the temporary works structure".

Hein Pretorius was testifying on Wednesday before the Grayston bridge inquiry, set up by the Department of Labour, into the causes of the collapse.

However, he told the commission he was not in a position to know what had caused the collapse.

He testified that he had been on leave the day of the October 2015 incident, in which two people died and 19 were injured.

When asked about the appointment of a mentor to Oliver Aadnesgaard, a candidate engineer working on the construction site, Pretorius said he knew there needed to be one but was not aware who his mentor was.

According to him, Aadnesgaard met the requirements of "a competent person".

Aadnesgaard, an employee of Murray & Roberts, declined to answer some of the questions put to him at the inquiry on Tuesday, saying he did not want to incriminate himself. According to him, he did not know any person who designed and approved the drawings of the temporary structure.

Both Aadnesgaard and Pretorius said the drawings of the collapsed structure were supplied by FormScaff.

Pretorius also told the inquiry that he had received health and safety reports on site on a regular basis.

Presiding officer Phumi Maphaha then asked why they went ahead with drawings without loadings. Pretorius declined to answer, saying that he may incriminate himself.

According to him, his engagement with FormScaff mainly related to discussions on the ease of the erecting and dismantling of the temporary structure on the M1 bridge.

Maphaha also asked Pretorius if he was aware of the loads that the structure could carry.

Again, he declined to answer. He also declined to answer a question about who was responsible for the inspections on the construction site.

The inquiry is expected to continue on Thursday.

 

[c3n0byt3]

So it's an inquiry.
When does it go to an actual court of law?

 

[Geoff.D]

So it's an inquiry.
When does it go to an actual court of law?

Only after the OHSA processes have been completed and only if the findings recommend criminal liability against those responsible.

 

[The_Assimilator]

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...-for-collapse-of-temporary-structure-20180704

But I thought it was BEE's fault?

 

[surface]

But I thought it was BEE's fault?

Some people are quiet after reading "Murray & Roberts"?