Crane Sweep Ordered at Brazil World Cup Stadium
A section of the stadium's east building was damaged in the incident, including the massive 170-meter long LED panel that runs across the structure's facade. Officials said the grandstand itself was not compromised by the accident. Odebrecht officials add that the section represents less than 5% of the total area under construction.
Most of the work on the project involves fitting out the already-completed west building. This includes installing floor coverings, air conditioning, electrical and hydraulic services. The placement of seats is also ongoing, with almost a third of the stadium's 68,000 already in place.
Meanwhile, investigators with Brazil's Ministry of Labor and Civil Defense continue to interview workers involved with the crane operations. They are also examining the information in the crane's data-logger, which was recovered by Liebherr officials over the weekend.
The contractor described the lifting procedure, which involved hoisting the module to a height of 40 meters, as "routine," having been performed more than three dozen times before the accident. According to Odebrecht, the procedure normally requires a team of 65 specialists a total 72 hours to complete.
Questions remain over the accident's cause. While rain had delayed the placement of the final section of the roof, meteorologists said there was no wind or rain at the site during the time of the accident. The day after the collapse, the president of the Union of Workers in the Construction of São Paulo (SP-Sintracon), Antonio de Sousa Ramalho, said a safety technician had warned that the ground conditions for crane operations were unsafe several hours before the accident but was overruled by a supervisor.
Ramalho, who is also a state congressman, has repeatedly claimed the technician was concerned of the stability of the soil beneath the crane because of heavy rains the week prior to the operation. However, Odebrecht and Corinthians deny the union's allegation, saying "there was no prior warning to the accident," according to a joint statement.
In the statement, they also note that the workers involved with the crane's operation were represented by of a different union, Sintrapav SP, the heavy construction trade union in the state of São Paulo. Representatives with that group has been working with government investigators examining the accident.
São Paulo's civil defense coordinator, Jair Paca de Lima, told reporters that the investigation was examining the operation of the crane as well as the weight of the load at the time of the accident. Asked about the ground conditions, he told reporters that there was minimal evidence that a shift in the crane's footing occurred.
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