Bridge collapse inquiry moves forward
The Department of Labour inquiry into the deadly bridge collapse near the Grayston off-ramp along the M1 highway in Johannesburg last month, has moved up a notch with the appointment of a presiding inspector.
Named The Great Walk Bridge, the temporary scaffolding structure, which was being used as a bridge over the M1 highway for cyclists and pedestrians, collapsed onto passing cars on 14 October. Two people were declared dead on the scene and 19 others were injured.
The department of labour said on Thursday that it had appointed a presiding inspector to lead the Grayston Drive Pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse Inquiry.
“The Department of Labour Chief Inspector, Tibor Szana has officially announced the appointment of Mr Lennie Samuel as the Presiding Inspector to head the Section 32 Inquiry into the collapse of the temporary walkway bridge between Sandton and Alexandra on the M1 freeway,” said Mokgadi Pela the Acting Departmental Spokesman in a statement.
Samuel has 30 years of service with the Department. He was a forensic investigator and co-commissioner for the Tongaat Mall Structural Collapse Inquiry.
The latest announcement follows a media briefing held by the Department of Labour on October 28 – in which it released a preliminary report on the state of the collapsed bridge – and announced it would set up a section 32 inquiry in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.
“In terms of the mandate from the Chief Inspector, Samuel will preside over the formal inquiry to determine if there was any contravention of the OHS Act and any of its Regulations which led to the uncontrolled collapse of the aforesaid structure or any part thereof, consequently resulting in the untimely deaths and injuries of the people,” the department said.
Szana said at this stage “no party stands accused of any wrongdoing” leading to the untimely collapse of the structure.
The inquiry, which is expected to last at least six months, will be held in public.