Grayston probe: Scaffolding supplier not biased

In the ongoing probe into the collapse of a bridge over the M1 at Grayston Drive, the scaffolding supplier has denied bias.

Johannesburg - In the ongoing Department of Labour probe into the collapse of what was meant to be a pedestrian bridge over the M1 at Grayston Drive, the scaffolding supplier has denied bias.

The department, which on Tuesday issued a statement, notes the witness - which it says is an expert - told the inquiry that he was not biased in favour of Murray & Roberts.

Two people were killed and 19 injured when the bridge collapsed in October last year.

Gary Farrow, a mechanical engineer representing Form-Scaff from Australia, told the commission his analysis of the fatal site disproves insinuations that he was biased in favour of his “employer”.

Form-Scaff supplied scaffolding material in the temporary structure construction in the M1/Grayston Drive project. Earlier this year, questions were raised over missing bolts.

Earlier this year, Form-Scaff’s Iegal representative, Ewan Rudolph, denied his client was responsible for the design and erection of the bridge. “Form-Scaff never developed the original methodologies, designs or erected the structure. Form-Scaff stressed at one of the meetings with M&R that it was important that M&R appoint a professional engineer to oversee the responsibility for the design, inspection and approval of the temporary works in compliance with regulations.”

Read also: Grayston Drive inquiry resumes

Rudolph said “the cause of collapse is not known to Form-Scaff”.

M&R designed the bridge after which Form-Scaff assembled the structure as per M&R’s design at its premises in Johannesburg. The assembled structure was then transported to the site where M&R took over and built the bridge. Farrow told the inquiry he had spent nine days on the site of the collapsed temporary structure at the M1/Grayston Drive bridge to gather information. He further told the commission, while he had never worked on/with temporary structures, he had been involved in other large projects.

In addition to visiting the site on numerous occasions, Farrow also relied on information obtained from Form-Scaff and on interactions with the company’s personnel.

“My mandate was configuration of the temporary structure and ascertain the causes of collapse.”

The inquiry will recess on Wednesday and resume on Thursday.

IOL