September 30, 2009

Construction safety

More debris falls in Calgary; charges laid in toddler death

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Occupational Health and Safety officers are investigating another piece of falling debris at a construction site in Calgary, while charges have been laid in a previous incident that killed a toddler.

In the latest incident, a piece of scaffolding fell from the 19th storey of a building under construction in downtown Calgary and crashed onto a parkade ramp on Sept. 26.

Officers from Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) were soon at the site to determine the cause of the incident, said OHS spokesperson Chris Chodan.

Firefighters, a city inspector and building workers also were called to the scene to ensure materials near the top of the highrise were secure.

No one was injured by the debris which fell from a Centron Construction Group construction site at 215 9th Ave. S.W.

The worksite was already inspected in August when City of Calgary safety officers carried out inspections of highrise sites.

The safety blitz was ordered after the Aug. 1 death of toddler Michelle Krsek at the Le Germain highrise project.

The most recent incident comes a day after the investigation into the girl’s death was concluded and charges laid against the owner, contractor and one subcontractor.

The City of Calgary announced charges following an investigation by the Building Regulations division into falling roofing material from the site located at 112 9 Ave S.W.

“The city has the authority to enforce the Safety Codes Act where infractions occur,” said Kevin Griffiths, Calgary’s chief building officer.

“The act clearly indicates that it is owners, contractors and subcontractors, who are responsible for safety in and around their construction sites.”

The owner of the project, Germain Residences Ltd., general contractor Grenville-Germain Calgary Limited Partnership and the subcontractor-Flynn Canada Ltd are charged with one count each, under the act.

The charge sites section 2.2.11(b) of the Alberta Building Code 2006 for allowing an unsafe condition.

“The unsafe condition is a result of causing, allowing or maintaining an unsafe condition, namely the storage, placement, installation, or disposal of materials at the said building in such a manner that could endanger the life, limb, or health of any person who was expected to be about said building,” said a city of Calgary press release.

If found guilty, it could result in summary conviction up to six months for the first offense, or up to twelve months for repeat offenses for those charged.

Krsek, who was three years old, was killed when a bundle of sheet metal blew off the top of the development.

The bundle weighed about 500 lbs and fell from 22 stories during a wind storm.

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