Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

SpiderRail provides fall protection in college demolition

Words: Heidi AndersSpider recently provided SpiderRail temporary guardrails for fall protection during demolition work in a portion of Columbia University Teachers College in New York City.

In preparation for a new ventilation system, the customer, Shawmut Design and Construction, planned on removing old masonry air shafts throughout the building. This process would leave gaping eight-square-foot holes in the floors. In order to protect their workers from potential falls, Shawmut turned to Spider.

Spider’s New York team demonstrated its SpiderRail system on site, creating a 12-square-foot area out of the non-penetrating, temporary guardrails to surround the openings in the floors. The system prevented workers outside the area from falls and enabled the workers inside to tie off to existing beams with Spider’s vertical beam clamps and retractable lanyards.

“Upon seeing the SpiderRail demonstration, we were immediately convinced this was the best way to keep our workers and everyone else on site safe,” says Omar Jackson, area safety manager with Shawmut. “We ordered enough SpiderRail to have five 12-square-foot units onsite — enough to cover the open shafts on each floor of the facility.”

“SpiderRail has been quick to assemble and easy to use, improving our safety and productivity during this demolition project,” says Shaun Carvalho, Shawmut’s corporate safety director. “Plus, Spider’s national presence provides great support to our projects throughout North America. Basically, wherever Shawmut has a location, Spider does as well, making our interactions seamless.”
 0
Bonding with Masonry 2026: Q2
June 2026

This issue’s questions come from a Mason Contractor and an Engineer. What questions do you have? Send them to info@masonrymagazine.com, attention Technical Talk.

David Biggs
Bonding with Masonry
Read More
The Thirty-Year Mason: Ergonomics as a Retention Strategy
June 2026

In most industry circles, the conversation around the labor shortage follows a predictable script: How do we find the next generation of masons? While recruitment is vital, we often overlook the most valuable asset already on the job site: the experienced

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Acme Brick Company Releases 2026 Pocket Guide to Brick Construction
June 2026

For more than four decades, all the basics of building with brick have come in a guide small enough to fit into a pocket. Acme Brick has just released a 2026 version of its Pocket Guide to Brick Construction. And yes, it’s still printed on paper just like

MAP Partner
Read More
Masonry in the Media: Casa Azul, Chapultepec Castle, & More
June 2026

A film’s settings can take viewers to new locations, all from the comfort of their own home. It immerses them in the scenes, whether they take place in an opera house in Brazil or a grand mansion in Mexico City. Explore how these Latin American masonry ma

Lily Burger
Masonry in the Media
Read More