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Scaffolding collapse still a mystery

Aug 27, 2008 | Associated Press | Indy Star News

A week after Indianapolis firefighters scaled the side of a Downtown high-rise to rescue workers left dangling from a scaffolding collapse, the cause of that accident remains unknown.

Sean Keefer, spokesman for the Indiana Department of Labor, said investigators still are trying to determine whether faulty anchoring, a bad cable or something else caused the mishap on Aug. 14.

"We're trying to figure it out," Keefer said.

Installers for a private contractor were using a type of scaffolding that is suspended from the roof and considered very safe by industry standards to install the M&I Bank logo atop the 31-story building at 135 N. Pennsylvania St. The building was known as First Indiana Bank until being acquired by Milwaukee-based Marshall & Ilsley Corp. late last year.

Peter Agostinelli, a spokesman for M&I, said Friday that executives haven't set a timetable for finishing the job.

"M&I takes the position that safety is highly important. That's why we don't know when the signage will be up or finished," he said.

"In the meantime, we are just grateful for the efforts of the firefighters and the M&I employees."

Besides the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration's investigation, he said, M&I also is looking into the matter.

The status of the three workers -- who suffered minor injuries during the accident, but weren't more seriously hurt thanks to safety harnesses -- could not be determined Thursday.

During the incident, hundreds of onlookers gathered below, craning their necks, snapping pictures with their cellular phones and applauding each rescue. Countless others watched on television.

The dangling scaffolding has been removed, meanwhile, with two layers of plywood covering gaping holes left after the window glass was broken out on the 27th and 23rd floors.