New Safety Commission Appointed in Wake of Philly Building Collapse | DENENA | POINTS

New Safety Commission Appointed in Wake of Philly Building Collapse

Faced with inquiries about city agency standards after the deadly collapse of a building through the roof of a Center City Salvation Army store this summer, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has appointed a new commission to investigate L&I, the City’s Department of Licenses and Inspections. The Center City building fell due to dangerous practices by the contractors demolishing it, which left it looming without adequate structural support or bracing over the one-story Salvation Army Thrift Store next door. It didn’t take a rocket scientist (or engineer) to foresee that the unsupported 4-story structure might collapse and cause serious injury and death.

The building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC note with approval that a stated goal of the mayor’s commission is to learn how similar building collapse tragedies could be prevented in the future, an especially relevant consideration in a nation where cities are filled with aging and deteriorating infrastructure. One commission member opined that many of these structures would need to be demolished and replaced in the near term.

Demolition generally isn’t given as much attention or oversight as construction, so the commission report could help by providing independent guidelines to change this and raise safety standards. Building collapses can be deadly to first responders, workers, and passers-by alike.

The 12-member commission includes a professor from John Jay College in New York who helped investigate the World Trade Center disaster, as well as two faculty members from Philadelphia’s Drexel University. One of them is a construction engineer, and one is an historian specializing in the history of disaster responses. Other members include representatives from the construction industry, labor groups, and the City Council.

Having the perspective of a commission member that specifically has researched what makes disaster responses and investigations successful could help the commission achieve its goals. The Drexel professors expressed their hopes that the commission might come up with a useful set of guidelines to prevent building collapses and save lives, perhaps even a model set of safety measures that could be applied in cities nationwide.

The commission has some hard work ahead of it. L&I has been under fire since the deadly Salvation Army accident for lax practices and standards. And our building collapse injury attorneys point out that the ensuing months have continued to see a number of structural collapses in Philadelphia, including a deadly balcony collapse in Center City, that might indicate a long-term problem with the city’s inspection and building standards.

Learn about some of the important safety and inspection standards that help make for a safe balcony. Download your free report by clicking the book icon on this page.