Scaffolding collapse kills 3; Incident mirrors 2003 tragedy

By Amy Teeple

Published on April 11, 2006

In both accidents, laborers were dismantling Fraco scaffolding when it suddenly collapsed.

Last week's incident at Emerson College in Boston killed two construction workers, Robert Beane, 41, and Romildo Silva, 27, when they fell at least 100 feet from their work posts. A third man, Dr. Michael Ty, 28, was killed when part of the platform fell on his Honda Civic.

In the 2003 tragedy, a glass installer was killed when he helped to dismantle Fraco scaffolding at Camden County College. During the dismantling process, the scaffolding broke away from the building, similar to the Boston accident.

Investigators of the recent Boston collapse are focusing on the premature removal of a metal anchor that may have triggered the crash, but noted that the laborers also failed to remove a weather enclosure from the structure's work platform.

Beane, one of the construction workers, had taken scaffolding courses from Fraco. He had completed "Level 2" training status. This training should have taught him not only how to operate the equipment, but also how to install and dismantle it.

As the New Jersey lawsuit progresses, the investigation into the Boston accident continues.

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