UPDATE on 7/21/14 – The Jan. 20 structural collapse was caused by overloading nine storage bins on the building’s roof level, an OSHA investigation has found. The collapse at the livestock feed supplement manufacturer caused the death of two workers and injuries to nine others. The investigation determined a structural failure of the east side truss, after bins that it supported were loaded with an excess of limestone. The extra weight caused the bins to collapse three floors into the center of the facility in about 30 seconds. As a result of the tragic incident, OSHA has cited the company with one willful, one repeat and 11 additional safety violations for failing to protect workers from hazards associated with structural collapse. https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=26418
CLICK HERE for the citations
UPDATE on 3/18/14 – News interviews a structural engineer who reviews the released photos from within the building.
http://on.aol.com/video/inside-the-international-nutrition-collapse-518100887
Maybe their five “experts” were shown more photos from inside than what the rest of us have seen, but the photos I have seen, there is very little to no evidence to suggest this accident was caused by an explosion. One only needs to look at the photo used in the story (http://omaha.com/assets/pdf/OW9831126.PDF) and we can see there is only a small section of the building that has lost its skin and that section just happens to be right next to where the structure came to rest. We can see that all the dust handling equipment is in near perfect condition. We can also notice that the structure that collapsed also has its skin still intact (at least that which we can see @ http://odc.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=5002&p=5039#photos-accident-at-international-nutrition-plant).
Of course this is PURE SPECULATION and the experts who are working inside will be able to determine if there was an explosion that initiated this accident or if the explosion was after the collapse. I would also like to point out the following other points that tend to support this accident was NOT caused by an explosion. Using the photos @ http://odc.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=5002&p=5039#photos-accident-at-international-nutrition-plant
- In the section of building that the “experts” claim were blown out by the explosion we see that the garage door is actually pushed INWARD. The garage door is at ground level and for an explosion to cause this collapse; the explosion would have to have occurred at ground level – weakening the base structure causing the collapse. How would a garage door at ground level under the “explosion panels” be pushed inward?
- We see the angle at which the structure came to rest so one would expect the explosion to have occurred under the section that collapsed. When we look at the building skin in that area it is 100% intact and no smoke or fire damage, much less explosion damage.
- We see in ALL the photos that the ductwork handling the suspect combustible dust handled at the facility is still intact except where it was bent from the collapse. The same goes with the bucket elevator damage as seen in the photos.
- One photo, from a distance shows some smoke damage, but it is very small area.
So I get asked… Bryan if there was no explosion how did workers suffer burns? I have never said there was no explosion – I am only saying that an explosion was NOT the initiating event. It is likely this building handled combustible dust, based on their business and the photographic evidence that shows the dust collection systems. In the pre-accident photos we can see the structure that collapsed is “enclosed” and even with dust collection systems, dust will settle in hard to reach places. This layered dust becomes airborne during the collapse and with all the reports of “lights going out” we know the collapse ripped down electrical which in all likelihood acted as an ignition source for the dust cloud. If natural gas lines were torn down there could also have been short-lived jet fires in the collapsed area that could have been the ignition source.
I will eat my crow if this is indeed found to be a com-dust explosion, but so far the five “experts” are far from convincing me. And for the city inspector to make such a revealing statement… “Buildings that have stood as long as this one has, they just don’t fail without reason,” he said. I would be looking at all possibilities this early in the investigation, but I would be leaning to something other than an explosion bringing down this structure. I would be looking for evidence that this collapse was caused by “human error”. Workers doing things that could over load the structure, workers damaging the structure with powered equipment, and the weather conditions in the days leading up to the collapse.