Suffolk Construction Halts South Station Tower Development Due to Small Fire, Initiating Safety Inspection
Suffolk Construction has temporarily halted construction activities at the South Station Tower following a minor fire incident, prompting the need for a thorough safety inspection.
The decision to pause work underscores the company's commitment to ensuring the well-being of its workers and the integrity of the project, aligning with stringent safety protocols and regulations.
(Photo : CBC News/Amanda Vircari )
Small Fire Stopped the Construction of South Station Tower
As of Tuesday morning, Apr. 9, smoke was seen coming from the building project above South Station in Boston. Nevertheless, the flames were restricted to the construction site at 700 Atlantic Avenue, where luxury apartments are being constructed.
The Boston Fire Department reported a fire on the outdoor deck of the ninth floor involving building materials. Moreover, Suffolk Construction noted that ironworkers from J.F. Stearns, who were welding pipe steel, started the little fire. Immediately after the fire was suppressed, the company reported that fire watchers were present at the location of the work activity. Luckily, nobody was wounded in the incident.
On that afternoon, the firm will reportedly be holding a meeting at its head office in Suffolk to discuss the significance of safety with the union, the subcontractor, and the corporate leadership.
On the other hand, as part of a comprehensive safety audit, Suffolk Construction voluntarily halted operations at the South Station construction site. It declared a safety standdown mandatory for all employees. A beam that descended from a considerable height struck Boston's thoroughfares.
In March, beams that fell from a great height above the streets of Boston shattered two windows before the current incident at South Station. In that incident, a massive orange steel I-beam was bent and dangled eight or nine stories over an Atlantic Avenue South Station door. As mentioned, the project's construction was suspended temporarily following that incident.
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Role of Safety Audit in Construction Site
An on-site safety audit examines how employees present at the work site are executing your health and safety protocols. It is necessary to ensure that your health and safety regulations and procedures are being followed appropriately by personnel on-site to ensure that you comply with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM) 2015. Preventative measures include performing site safety inspections and audits to ensure compliance with current health and safety regulations and the effectiveness of your safety management system.
In addition, by regularly conducting Site Safety Audits, you can reduce the possible risks to workers' health, safety, and welfare on the site. Accordingly, when independent auditors come to your location to conduct the inspection, you eliminate the possibility of bias occurring during the audit. Also, you can precisely record non-compliance, safeguarding you against unneeded injuries and near misses.
Another benefit of using external site safety audit inspectors instead of internal inspectors is reassuring employees that they work in an atmosphere where safety is managed proactively and that you, as the responsible party, take their health, safety, and welfare seriously.
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