<P> Strauss remained head of the project , overseeing day - to - day construction and making some groundbreaking contributions . A graduate of the University of Cincinnati , he placed a brick from his alma mater 's demolished McMicken Hall in the south anchorage before the concrete was poured . He innovated the use of movable safety netting beneath the construction site , which saved the lives of many otherwise - unprotected ironworkers . Of eleven men killed from falls during construction , ten were killed on February 17 , 1937 , when the bridge was near completion when the net failed under the stress of a scaffold that had fallen . According to Travel Channel 's Monumental Mysteries , the workers ' platform that was attached to a rolling hanger on a track collapsed when the bolts that were connected to the track were too small and the amount of weight was too great to bear . The platform fell into the safety net , but was too heavy and the net gave way . Two out of the twelve workers survived the 200 - foot ( 61 m ) fall into the icy waters , including the 37 - year - old foreman , Slim Lambert . Nineteen others who were saved by the net over the course of construction became members of their Half Way to Hell Club . </P>
<P> Strauss remained head of the project , overseeing day - to - day construction and making some groundbreaking contributions . A graduate of the University of Cincinnati , he placed a brick from his alma mater 's demolished McMicken Hall in the south anchorage before the concrete was poured . He innovated the use of movable safety netting beneath the construction site , which saved the lives of many otherwise - unprotected ironworkers . Of eleven men killed from falls during construction , ten were killed on February 17 , 1937 , when the bridge was near completion when the net failed under the stress of a scaffold that had fallen . According to Travel Channel 's Monumental Mysteries , the workers ' platform that was attached to a rolling hanger on a track collapsed when the bolts that were connected to the track were too small and the amount of weight was too great to bear . The platform fell into the safety net , but was too heavy and the net gave way . Two out of the twelve workers survived the 200 - foot ( 61 m ) fall into the icy waters , including the 37 - year - old foreman , Slim Lambert . Nineteen others who were saved by the net over the course of construction became members of their Half Way to Hell Club . </P>
how many workers died building the golden gate
how many workers died building the golden gate
eleven
eleven