The pedestrian bridge that collapsed near Florida International University soon after it was installed was considered to be a game-changer in terms of bridge design and construction. The project attracted the attention of builders from around the world who were interested in utilizing similar techniques in projects of their own in the future. A lot was riding on the success of this project which was already over-budget and behind schedule.
While the cause of the collapse is still being investigated, it’s likely that last minute design changes, a relatively-new installation technique and a rush to get the job done contributed to the tragedy. There was also a communication breakdown between engineers and city officials when cracks were discovered on the structure before the collapse.
While the position of the engineering company was that the cracking didn’t pose a safety risk, it is possible that the city would have halted installation until the issue could have been assessed. However, the official in question was out of the office when the call came through, and the voicemail discussing the problem wasn’t heard until the day after the collapse. It’s tragic to think that a missed call may have led to the tragedy, but it looks like this may be the case.
Lessons not Learned
This is turning out to be a disaster that follows a pattern of fatal engineering mishaps that builders and inspectors can’t seem to break. A rush to get a job done, using questionable installation techniques and a failure to address potential problems beforehand are just a few examples of factors that contribute to accidents on a regular basis. While it’s too soon to attribute these factors to this particular situation, it is becoming clear that the investigation is heading in that direction.
This tragedy calls attention to the pitfalls of being lulled into a false sense of security due to a sense of over-confidence and poor oversight and management. While this was a freak accident, the investigation will undoubtedly reveal a series of mistakes that could have been avoided if people were not rushing, making better choices and focused on safety instead of meeting a deadline.
Lessons for Us
This is also how what happened in Florida can be applied to our own lives. Think about how many times to we end up taking unnecessary risks, make mistakes or leave ourselves vulnerable to all kinds of dangers because we’re under the gun to get something done. Consider how many times we choose to skip steps or fail to take precautions for the sake of meeting a goal. All of these things can lead to disasters that can be completely-avoided if we were more focused on getting things done right instead of getting things done quickly.
Make sure that you allow yourself time to get things done without being rushed. Make sure that you allow time for setbacks or mistakes so that you won’t feel the pressure when things go wrong. While there will be circumstances when this will be impossible, the vast majority of projects that we undertake don’t need to involve these risks.
Innocent people lost their lives, and this bridge collapse will most-likely cost the city, the contractors, the designers and perhaps the university tens of millions of dollars, and for what? This tragedy illustrates how mistakes and oversights can have huge ramifications on safety, and this is something that can happen to any one of us if we’re not careful as well.
