Articles

    Harlem Collapse Brings Site Safety Into Focus

    A building collapse in Harlem earlier this week reminds us of the ongoing importance of site safety. The vacant building, built in 1900, collapsed onto a commuter Bus, injuring 18 people. A prior complaint lodged against the site on September 7th claimed that bricks from the ongoing demolition were falling onto the sidewalk, so the collapse was not a complete surprise.

    In response, the New York City Department of Buildings is expected to issue violations against Disano Demolition, the construction company, and the building owner. The building filed the permit for demolition in April and began installing scaffolding and a sidewalk shed in June.

    When the site was originally inspected, there was no violation warranted, according to the complaint filed with the DOB. Councilwoman Inez Dickens, who informed DNAinfo.com of the violations, said equipment was found that should not have been on the site and the demolition was not done correctly.

    The building has been vacant since 2005 according to DOB records. It was part of the Brownfield Cleanup Program, an environmental initiative by the state to redevelop and reuse contaminated properties, according to the Remedial Action Work Plan filed last month. Suspect fuel oils were present underground in the northern and southern portions of the site.

    The buildings immediately neighboring the site partially collapsed after the first building went down. As the city cleaned up the rubble, witnesses were shaken. Thankfully, this time there were no fatalities. Let this serve as a reminder of how important site safety is on all construction projects.

    Posted by Janey Scaturro

    « Previous Entry Next Entry »