Published: 22 Aug 2017
Two tragic wall collapse incidents occurred on Wednesday 16th August in Sydney. Both were domestic/residential housing sites and both were preventable.
Thong Tran a 30 year old Carpenter and father of four was tragically crushed when a brick wall above him (on the second storey of the home being built) collapsed at a residential housing site in Carlingford.
The second collapse occurred on another residential housing site in Kellyville trapping a 19 year old labourer working on a student visa. Early reports confirm he is currently in a coma in Westmead Hospital.
Wind gusts of up to 80Km/h were recorded. Tragically, both walls were not sufficiently braced or supported.
During construction work, masonry walls (brick or block) can fail due to side loads on the walls, the rate of construction, inadequate foundations or adjacent excavations. Side loads may include wind, inadvertent impacts or leaning materials against them.
You can download further guidance and a safety alert to print and share here.