A STRUCTURAL formwork and scaffolding collapse at a Sormany Road, Bluff building site left three construction workers hospitalised on Saturday, 30 June.
According to Netcare 911, Shawn Herbst, paramedics responded to reports of the collapse at about 3pm on Saturday. “On arrival we found three construction workers injured after formwork collapsed on top of them. The men were pulled to safety and treated at the scene before transported to hospital,” said Herbst.
The double storey building site, which is apparently adjacent to an existing pre-school, was visited by city building inspectors in April, after ward 66 councillor JP Prinsloo received several calls from concerned residents about its construction. “I contacted the relevant departments including the building inspector who came out in April and issued the owners with a stop order notice to cease all work,” said Cllr Prinsloo. This was the last he had heard about the matter.
The owner of the building, Rachal Singh paints a different picture of the whole incident and mentioned that she was at the school, which is about 100-metres next to the site when it happened. “I called in the paramedics out of concern for those who were affected. I believe vibrations caused by a concrete pump truck led to the three men losing their footing, causing them to fall. Many people claimed it was a building collapse but it was just the formwork, there was no structural collapse of any kind,” said Singh.
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She added that the men, who she subsequently visited in hospital, were only slightly injured. The affected section has been cordoned off, according to Singh.
She said that all her paperwork is in order, she has a building plan and has never received a stop work order. “When the building inspectors and councillor came to see me, I was given a letter about the concerns of neighbours. I was told a public meeting would be held to discuss the construction work but I have yet to hear about the date,” she said.
She invites anyone who has queries or questions about her building to visit her at the school.
“My door is always open and they are more than welcome to talk to me about it. I have nothing to hide,” she added.
Singh, who is a medical doctor, said her first concern was the men who were injured, “As I rushed to get my medical bag to treat them, the paramedics were already at the scene. What happened was traumatic and it will haunt us forever. I thank Netcare 911 for their quick response and for helping the injured. Thank you to the fire department and Brighton Beach SAPS for responding to the scene, as well as neighbours who showed concern. I’m grateful there no serious or fatal injuries,” she said.
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A Bluff resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said residents in the road have started a petition to stop the construction. “There are a lot of unhappy people who want something to to be done about it. This is obviously a serious matter and we demand the authorities investigate it, since it is so close to children,” she said.
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