Monday, May 17, 2010

Demolition safety issues

I had a good chuckle over the week-end, when a Woodstock resident emailed me observations about the demolition of the old McDonald's in Woodstock and compared it to the demolition of Grace Hall.

I had previously written about D-day, when Gavers Excavating knocked down Grace Hall. No hard hats were in sight on the grappling machine operator, on the semi driver or helper there to haul away debris or on Gavers' photographer.

In spite of telephone calls to City Hall, no water truck ever showed up to control the dust and slow or prevent possible remaining asbestos materials from blowing all over the north end of Woodstock.

How were things different at McDonald's? From that observer's email,

"No squad cars parked at the site to keep away demonstrators upset they won't be getting Happy Meals for a while.
"A water tanker truck being used for dust containment.
"All construction workers wearing hard hats and goggles."

I never did find out why an officer and squad car were stationed at Grace Hall all day but, then again, I didn't ask those who would know.

No comments: