March 3, 2010

Health and safety

Charges laid after investigations into falling debris in Calgary

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Investigations into debris falling from two construction projects in Calgary during high winds have resulted in charges being laid under the Alberta Building Code against several companies.

“Construction site safety is a primary concern for the City of Calgary,” said Kevin Griffiths, chief building official with the City of Calgary.

“As the authority with jurisdiction for building regulations, we have a responsibility to investigate and enforce the Safety Codes Act where infractions occur.”

In the first incident, a piece of scaffolding fell from the 19th storey of the Penn West Plaza in downtown Calgary and crashed onto a parkade ramp on Sept. 26, 2009.

No one was injured by the debris, which fell from the Centron Construction Group construction site.

The city issued a stop-work notice at the time.

Degi Homburg Harris General Partner Ltd., Centron Construction Corporation, Centron Construction Limited and Unique Scaffold Inc were charged.

On Oct. 6, three two-by-fours and a large sheet of plywood blew off the Ovation tower on Spruce Place S.W. during a windstorm.

Charged in this incident are Intergulf-Cidex Development (VIII) Corp. and Condominium Corporation No. 0512667.

No one was hurt in the incident.

In both cases, the charges site a clause 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”.

Contravention of the Alberta Building Code is an offence under the Safety Codes Act.

A guilty verdict could result in a summary conviction with fines up to $15,000 for the first offense, or up to $30,000 for subsequent offenses.

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