• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Demolition fail.

Do the States and Cananda have stringent Health and Safety regulations for construction (and demolition)?

I work in the construction industry as a consultant in the UK and there is a plethora of H & S statute and regulations, which everyone has to abide by on a construction site. If you don't, you could end up with a hefty fine or in jail.

You can't lift a tool on a construction site without having to provide a method statement and risk assessment.

As soon as you step off the ground or into a ditch, you are working at height (a single step below or above the finished floor level / ground is defined as working at height), which introduces H & S statute and regulations.

Believe me the UK has a minefield of H & S statute and regulations.

The negligence shown in the video would probably end up with some jail time for the parties involved.

Btw, just to clarify my post: Demolition = 'construction' site in the UK.
 
Wow. I do that kind of work (in Victoria) and that was really poorly planned and executed. It is mandatory (Workers Compensation Act) to have an engineers report for demolition of any structure that represents a risk to adjoining property and that building certainly would have been included in that definition. There should have been braces on the outside walls to prevent them from falling out, or even a road closure to prevent people and cars from being damaged.

Beyond that, the operator behind the controls had no idea what he was doing.

Global Contracting will be in trouble for this one.
 
daw123 said:
Do the States and Cananda have stringent Health and Safety regulations for construction (and demolition)?

I work in the construction industry as a consultant in the UK and there is a plethora of H & S statute and regulations, which everyone has to abide by on a construction site. If you don't, you could end up with a hefty fine or in jail.

You can't lift a tool on a construction site without having to provide a method statement and risk assessment.

As soon as you step off the ground or into a ditch, you are working at height (a single step below or above the finished floor level / ground is defined as working at height), which introduces H & S statute and regulations.

Believe me the UK has a minefield of H & S statute and regulations.

The negligence shown in the video would probably end up with some jail time for the parties involved.

Btw, just to clarify my post: Demolition = 'construction' site in the UK.
Click to expand...

We have the same kinds of regulations here in Canada (especially BC) and while there will be no jail time because it appears no people were injured, there will be significant fines for the company.
 
D1gger said:
We have the same kinds of regulations here in Canada (especially BC) and while there will be no jail time because it appears no people were injured, there will be significant fines for the company.
Click to expand...

They contractor in the OP's link was very lucky that no one was killed, due to it being in a city with the site being directly adjacent to (potentially busy) main roads.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE in the UK) would view it as such; i.e. it was more than likely that someone would be killed, hence the legal ramifications and penalties would be very severe.
 
daw123 said:
They contractor in the OP's link was very lucky that no one was killed, due to it being in a city with the site being directly adjacent to (potentially busy) main roads.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE in the UK) would view it as such; i.e. it was more than likely that someone would be killed, hence the legal ramifications and penalties would be very severe.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%. As someone in the industry it pains me to see crappy contractors like Global give civil contractors a bad name. I beleive they will see some very stiff fines and they will be getting a lot of attention from the enforcement branch of Workers Compensation of BC for their entire safety and training program, but they won't see prison bars.
 
Oops. That's really central downtown too!

Lol at the lamp-post falling in the 2nd video. Thems is professionals you can tell.
 
Locut0s said:
Oops. That's really central downtown too!

Lol at the lamp-post falling in the 2nd video. Thems is professionals you can tell.
Click to expand...

Very True. They were extremely lucky no one was killed. Especially when the full two stories of the first wall went down.
 
D1gger said:
Wow. I do that kind of work (in Victoria) and that was really poorly planned and executed. It is mandatory (Workers Compensation Act) to have an engineers report for demolition of any structure that represents a risk to adjoining property and that building certainly would have been included in that definition. There should have been braces on the outside walls to prevent them from falling out, or even a road closure to prevent people and cars from being damaged.

Beyond that, the operator behind the controls had no idea what he was doing.

Global Contracting will be in trouble for this one.
Click to expand...

Definitely needed temporary buttressing. The only thing preventing the two walls from collapsing was the return in the walls and the first floor structure tying them together. The contractor obviously structurally affected the floor (or tie) too much and good bye one wall.

Edit: And the other wall probably.
 
Last edited:
D1gger said:
Very True. They were extremely lucky no one was killed. Especially when the full two stories of the first wall went down.
Click to expand...

Yeah they should have cordoned off the whole street or at the very least that lane. The fence they had set up looks wholly inadequate. Even though there is no sidewalk left there that doesn't mean that people aren't going to walk around that side of the street anyway. I've walked along such fences at construction sites many times, even though I strictly probably shouldn't have, just so I wouldn't have to cross the street.
 
Locut0s said:
Yeah they should have cordoned off the whole street or at the very least that lane. The fence they had set up looks wholly inadequate. Even though there is no sidewalk left there that doesn't mean that people aren't going to walk around that side of the street anyway. I've walked along such fences at construction sites many times, even though I strictly probably shouldn't have, just so I wouldn't have to cross the street.
Click to expand...

Their entire operation was poorly planned and executed.
 
D1gger said:
We have the same kinds of regulations here in Canada (especially BC) and while there will be no jail time because it appears no people were injured, there will be significant fines for the company.
Click to expand...

Not to mention the cost of one street light! :hmm:


To answer daw123's question, in the USA, pretty much everything is covered by OSHA, so far as safety goes. Negligence on the part of a company that has an accident like this can get them a pretty costly fine, regardless of whether anyone was hurt or not. Even the conditions that could lead to an accident, if identified by OSHA, and not corrected, can lead to a fine.

When I worked for the navy, in Guam, we had a contractor on base who was trenching across a very sandy soil area. They'd dug a 5' deep trench, and had people working down in the trench, without any shoring. They were warned by base safety a couple times to put up some shoring, to no avail. Finally, the base safety officer dropped a dime on them, and called the OSHA office downtown.
From what I heard, the local OSHA inspector came down, and pretty much told the contractor that he would cease and desist having anyone down in that trench, until he had proper shoring in place, and that every day he failed to do so would result in a $50,000 fine. 😱
 
marvdmartian said:
Not to mention the cost of one street light! :hmm:


To answer daw123's question, in the USA, pretty much everything is covered by OSHA, so far as safety goes. Negligence on the part of a company that has an accident like this can get them a pretty costly fine, regardless of whether anyone was hurt or not. Even the conditions that could lead to an accident, if identified by OSHA, and not corrected, can lead to a fine.

When I worked for the navy, in Guam, we had a contractor on base who was trenching across a very sandy soil area. They'd dug a 5' deep trench, and had people working down in the trench, without any shoring. They were warned by base safety a couple times to put up some shoring, to no avail. Finally, the base safety officer dropped a dime on them, and called the OSHA office downtown.
From what I heard, the local OSHA inspector came down, and pretty much told the contractor that he would cease and desist having anyone down in that trench, until he had proper shoring in place, and that every day he failed to do so would result in a $50,000 fine. 😱
Click to expand...

Ouch, that fine will certainly focus the contractor's mind on health and safety.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top