Two construction workers were left in stable condition after roof trusses collapsed at a church construction site on Arlington Road in Greer, South Carolina, sending them falling 15 to 20 feet. The collapse happened Saturday as a roof truss was being placed by a crane, according to the Greer Fire Department.
Crews Respond to Arlington Road Collapse
Crews Respond to Arlington Road Collapse Emergency crews were called to the 600 block of Arlington Road near its intersection with Wade Hampton Boulevard, a key local corridor in Greer. As reported by WSPA 7News, the Greer Fire Department responded to the reported structural collapse and found the two workers had fallen when the truss system became unstable. EMS treated both workers at the scene, and the Greer Building and Codes Department was called in to investigate the collapse.
The station's report said the Greer Fire Department reported that the truss system became unstable and collapsed, but said the cause of the collapse had not yet been determined. The two workers were in stable condition following the fall, the outlet noted.
Why Roof Truss Installation Is So Dangerous
Roof truss placement is considered one of the most hazardous phases of building framing, since temporary bracing has to absorb significant lateral forces until permanent sheathing locks everything into place. Industry guidelines from the Structural Building Components Association specify that metal-plate-connected wood roof trusses require continuous lateral restraint and temporary diagonal bracing during installation to prevent out-of-plane buckling and collapse before permanent sheathing is attached.
Federal rules add another layer of protection for workers at height. Under OSHA construction standards in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M, employers must provide fall protection systems such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest equipment whenever workers operate six feet or more above lower levels, according to OSHA. That threshold squarely covers the 15-to-20-foot fall reported at the Arlington Road site.
State Oversight and Workers' Compensation
Workplace safety in South Carolina falls under SC OSHA, a state-plan agency within the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation that enforces compliance across private and public jobsites. State rules require employers to report any work-related severe injury resulting in in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours, a mandate that allows compliance officers to determine whether a full jobsite inspection is warranted. Whether SC OSHA will open a formal investigation into the contractor or crane operator involved in the Greer collapse remains an open question.
The collapse prompted an investigation by Greer Building and Codes. Because South Carolina operates under a no-fault workers' compensation system, the two injured workers are eligible for medical coverage and partial wage replacement, according to the Bill Connor Law Firm. Temporary total disability benefits in the state can cover up to two-thirds of an injured worker's average weekly wage.
A Pattern of Upstate Construction Accidents
The Arlington Road incident occurred in Upstate South Carolina. South Carolina tracks workplace fatalities and nonfatal job-related injuries and illnesses across all economic sectors. Roof truss placement can become dangerous when bracing is inadequate.
