MAPUA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Intramuros, Manila

School of Civil Engineering and Environmental and

Sanitary Engineering (CE-ENSE)

SAFETY ENGINEERING
(SFTY100)

ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT

WEST INSULA CONDOMINIUM PROJECT

CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT
KILLS 4 WORKERS

DOMINGUEZ, DOMINIQUE
RAYTANA, LITO

SECTION: B10
Breaking News / Metro
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100529-272766/4-workers-killed-in-construction-
accident

4 workers killed in construction accident

By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: May 29, 2010

MANILA, Philippines—Four laborers working on a condominium project’s elevator system

were killed Friday evening in Quezon City when the frame they were standing on on the
building’s 27th floor gave way at the height of a rainstorm, police and witnesses said.

The accident happened at the West Insular Condo project on 137 West Avenue in Barangay
Bungad after strong winds weakened the frame of the elevator shaft on which they stood, police
said. The construction site is a project of E. Ganzon Inc.

Case investigator PO3 Greg Maramag of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal
Investigation and Detection Unit said the four men suffered severe head injuries and broken
limbs.

The four steelmen—Joey Dillosa, 26; Gilbert Leonardo, 25; Gabriel Rejuso, 26 and Leo Vinas,
30—died upon arrival at the Quezon City General Hospital where they were rushed immediately
after the accident, which occurred at about 6:30 p.m.

Another worker, Carlos Lanojan, 36, who was working on the 6th floor was slightly injured after
some of the falling steel from the frame fell on him. It was also on the 6th floor floor where the
four fatalities landed.

Contrary to radio and TV reports, the cause of the accident was not an elevator crash as there
was no elevator installed yet at the condominium project.

“There was no elevator car installed yet. What gave way was the ‘shear wall,’ the shaft in which
the elevator will be installed,” Maramag said.

He explained that the “shear wall” was encased in concrete up to the 22nd floor and that the
upper levels consisted only of steel frames over which concrete was to be poured later.

Initial investigation showed that the four steelmen were supported by harnesses and a piece of
plywood resting on the steel frames when the accident happened.

A fellow construction worker, Allan Dalanon, recalled that the winds were strong and it was
raining hard at the time.

“The four men at the top were already warned to go down. I was also at the top with the other
victims but I went down ahead of them to get some steel,” Dalanon said.

The four victims, heeding the warning, had already removed their harnesses to go down when
tragedy struck.

Police said the strong winds caused the steel frame to sway and eventually give way.

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Outline of Investigation Report

1. FACTUAL INFORMATION

1.1 About the Firm

1.2 The Site
1.3 The Incident
1.4 The Persons Involved
1.4.1 The Victims and Injured
1.4.2 The Investigator
1.4.3 The Witness
1.5 Weather

2. ANALYSIS

3. CONCLUSION

4. RECOMMENDATION
1 Factual Information
1.1 About the Firm

E. Ganzon Inc. (EGI) has been formed on October 26, 1982 as a construction
services company headed by its President, Engr. Eulalio Ganzon, and is considered as
one of the most progressive property development builders in the country ever since.

The company has constructed of no less than 50 buildings in various proportions

located in the country’s prime and significant districts, more particularly in Metro Manila.

1.2 The Site

The incident occurred at the West Insula Condominium Project located at 137
Barangay Bungad, West Avenue, Quezon City.

1.3 The Incident

At around 6:30 pm of May 28, 2010, Friday, four laborers working on the
condominium’s elevator system were rushed to Quezon City General Hospital after
being killed on a fall from the 27th floor of the EGI-condominium project. The frame from
which the four were standing gave way during the height of a rainstorm.

Contrary to initial reports, there was no elevator installed yet in the 27 th floor
during the time, but instead the real cause of the accident is because the steel frame
was not yet encased in concrete which should have been done before any accident
could have happened. The strong winds caused the shear wall of the elevator to sway
and bend. The shear wall is the structure encasing the elevator shaft from the entire
length of the building. A big part of the shear wall has been encased with concrete
except from the 19th floor and upwards which still had steel frames exposed and
vulnerable to strong winds. When the strong winds struck, the engineer (who declined to
be named) recounted that the four steelmen were at the sheer wall on the 21st and 22nd
 floor binding the steel frames. Feeling that the shear wall started to unusually sway and
bend, the four steelmen started to remove their safety harnesses in an attempt to get out
of danger. However, it was too late because the shear wall suddenly bended and gave
in, smashing into the outer wall of the building. The four steelmen fell at the 6th floor
podium area of the same building.

1.4 Persons Involved

1.4.1 Victims and Injured

The construction workers that were killed after the construction accident were
named as Joey Dillosa, 26, Gilbert Leonardo, 25, Gabriel Rejuso, 26 and Leo Vinas, 30,
all of which are steelmen, natives of Masbate and stay-in workers at the E. Ganzon Inc.
(EGI) West Insular Condominium Project. Another worker named Carlos Lanojan, 36,
was slightly injured after some of the falling steel from the frame fell on him while
working at the 6th floor of the condominium. The four victims were rushed to Quezon City
General Hospital and died upon arrival.

1.4.2 Investigator

Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit’s case
investigator PO3 Greg Maramag was assigned to investigate the accident and determine
the root cause of this. According to the investigator, the accident caused the four victims
severe head injuries and broken limbs.

1.4.3 Witness

Allan Dalanon, another named construction worker clarified that there was no
elevator yet installed on the proposed 27-floor building. He said that the four are working
on the “shear wall” setting up the iron frame when the accident happened. Dalanon was
lucky enough to escape from the unfortunate fate of the four victims because prior to the
accident, Dalanon, who was also working with the ill-fated crew, was ordered by Dellosa
to get down to the sixth floor to get more iron bars.
1.5 Weather
The accident occurred at the height of the heavy downpour of rain on Friday
night, May 30, 2010 at around 6:30 pm. The winds were strong and it was raining hard at
the time, as stated by the construction worker and witness, Allan Dalanan.