Starting with Sept. 11, it seems that everything that could have gone wrong at the former Deutsche Bank building has. While deconstruction is slated to recommence next month, many have expressed skepticism whether the project will be finished this year.
1. Is the 15-day fire safety inspection schedule unfeasible and unrealistic?
2. Is anyone protecting the health/safety of the (often undocumented) "misclassified" workers that are typically hired to undertake deconstruction projects of this kind?
3. After D.A. Morgenthau's investigation of the Deutsche Bank is complete, will there be more accountability for safety.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Chad's questions
How big of a problem is falling debris of buildings in New York City?
Is there any way to protect people completely from falling debris or do New Yorker’s, every day, run a risk of getting injured?
What’s the city’s record like when it comes to falling debris?
How safe are sidewalk sheds?
Who can I speak to that knows more information?
Does safety sometimes get foregone for building speed?
Who's more at risk for getting hit by falling debris, construction workers or pedestrians?
Besides falling debris, what are some new ways of protecting people on the ground from falling debris?
Emergency Preparedness - Giegerich Questions
How has your evaluation process changed since 911?
Please explain in detail how buildings are evaluated?
What are the most important things to take into consideration? height? building material? use of space?
What are the last things that you look at when evaluating a buildling for safety preparedness?How do you make buildlings safer?
Please give a few examples of typical corrections that need to be made to buildings?
What are the worst problems a buildling can face in terms of safety preparedness?
Tell me about the hardest building to prepare for emergencies versus the easiest kind of buildling?
Who do you have to consult with and what about each person/office makes that person's opinion/expertise/knowledge valuable?
How many buildings have you worked with?
How long does the process take?
Do you recommend that every hi-rise in NYC be evaluated by your company or another one like it? Why?
What percentage of buildings in NYC do you think are truly prepared for emergencies?
Are most buildings sufficiently prepared before you get to them?
How important is effective communication in the case of an emergency?
How do you ensure that communication will not fail in the case of any emergency?
What kind of communication system do you suggest?
Do you have multiple back up systems in case one or more fail?
What have been some of the consequences due to communication failure in an emergency in a hi-rise?
Over the last seven years, what has been done to increase communication efficiency during emergencies, especially since communication was a major problem in 911 as it is in many other emergencies?
What government agencies do you work with and how does your work coincide with theirs?What are some complaints you have about buildlings that do no adhere to your standards and are they putting residents and bystanders at risk by failing to be adequately emergency prepared? In what ways?
Please explain in detail how buildings are evaluated?
What are the most important things to take into consideration? height? building material? use of space?
What are the last things that you look at when evaluating a buildling for safety preparedness?How do you make buildlings safer?
Please give a few examples of typical corrections that need to be made to buildings?
What are the worst problems a buildling can face in terms of safety preparedness?
Tell me about the hardest building to prepare for emergencies versus the easiest kind of buildling?
Who do you have to consult with and what about each person/office makes that person's opinion/expertise/knowledge valuable?
How many buildings have you worked with?
How long does the process take?
Do you recommend that every hi-rise in NYC be evaluated by your company or another one like it? Why?
What percentage of buildings in NYC do you think are truly prepared for emergencies?
Are most buildings sufficiently prepared before you get to them?
How important is effective communication in the case of an emergency?
How do you ensure that communication will not fail in the case of any emergency?
What kind of communication system do you suggest?
Do you have multiple back up systems in case one or more fail?
What have been some of the consequences due to communication failure in an emergency in a hi-rise?
Over the last seven years, what has been done to increase communication efficiency during emergencies, especially since communication was a major problem in 911 as it is in many other emergencies?
What government agencies do you work with and how does your work coincide with theirs?What are some complaints you have about buildlings that do no adhere to your standards and are they putting residents and bystanders at risk by failing to be adequately emergency prepared? In what ways?
Starkey Questions
Changes in safety code seem largely reactive. Has the city historically been proactive in making any changes?
What impact did the 37 and 68 changes have on safety, since they seem to have come about as a result of builders' economic concerns?
Is it possible to protect workers or residents in high rises from a tragedy of scale similar to the attacks on 911, since those attacks have been a main driver for change?
Before the Triangle fire what were the concerns for safety in high-rises? Was there any discussion, regulations approved? What codes were subsequently approved and how long did it take? Did it start a safety movement nationwide? Please explain the last answer in terms of where changes were made, what the changes were and how quickly they came about after the fire.
What impact did the 37 and 68 changes have on safety, since they seem to have come about as a result of builders' economic concerns?
Is it possible to protect workers or residents in high rises from a tragedy of scale similar to the attacks on 911, since those attacks have been a main driver for change?
Before the Triangle fire what were the concerns for safety in high-rises? Was there any discussion, regulations approved? What codes were subsequently approved and how long did it take? Did it start a safety movement nationwide? Please explain the last answer in terms of where changes were made, what the changes were and how quickly they came about after the fire.
Galyean Questions - Fire Safety Codes
Preliminary list of questions for the NYC Building Dept. (ideally Commissioner Lancaster):
Preliminary list of questions for the Port Authority:
- Which of the recommendations from the 1995 report on the 1993 World Trade Center evacuation report have been included in the city building code?
- When were they included?
- Who supported the inclusion?
- Who opposed the inclusion?
- Which ones were not included?
- Why not?
- Who supported the inclusion?
- Who opposed the inclusion?
- Is there any evidence to suggest that those changes, if made, would have saved any lives in the second attack in 2001?
- Are those recommendations reflected in the 2008 city building code revisions for high-rise buildings?
- Who is responsible for overseeing implementation of the codes? How is that monitored? What are the consequences of non-compliance? What is the rate of non-compliance?
- Are there waivers? For whom? Under what circumstances?
- Is there a concern that safety is compromised when waivers are granted?
Preliminary list of questions for the Port Authority:
- Which of the recommendations from the 1995 report on the 1993 World Trade Center evacuation report were implemented by September 11, 2001?
- Were they helpful in evacuating survivors?
- Why were the other recommendations not implemented?
- Is there any evidence to suggest that those recommendations, if implemented, would have saved any lives in the second attack in 2001?
- Why did the Port Authority redesign the floor plans to remove the fourth staircase from each tower?
- Will the 1995 safety recommendations be reflected in the construction of the new tower? Which ones? Why? Why not?
- Will the 2005 safety recommendations be reflected in the construction of the new towers? Which ones? Why? Why not?
- Will the new tower adhere to the 2008 New York City building codes?
- What measures are being taken in the design of the new tower in place of or in addition to the New York City building code to ensure fire safety and evacuation?
Building Design Questions
-What (architectural and engineering) design changes have taken place in skyscrapers since 9-11?
-Where does the United States stand in skyscraper design and safety innovation?
-Which materials do you see being incorporated the most for fire safety in skyscrapers? How do you test them?
-What difference in skyscraper safety design do you notice between Class A and Class B buildings?
-What are some ways design could be used to make older skyscrapers safer?
-How could older buildings' materials be upgraded in a cost-effective way?
-Where so you see the importance of (architects, engineers) in exploring new design techniques in skyscraper construction?
-What is the opinion in the (architectural, engineering) community about innovating new safety measures? How has it or has it not become a priority since 9-11?
-In what ways have (architects, engineers) been working together to develop safer ways to build high rises?
-How important is it to the architectural/engineering community to design safer skyscrapers?
-What safety concerns do you see as most important for (architects, engineers)?
-How does your firm approach skyscraper safety?
-Considering the impact the damage to the World Trade Center had on the surrounding buildings, how have (architects, engineers) approached the safety of their design in regards to neighboring buildings?
-How easy is it to bypass or innovate building safety codes?
-How restrictive are building codes on (architectural, engineering) designs? Do you find them problematic?
-What are some conversations that have taken place within the (architectural, engineering) community since 9-11 regarding skyscraper design and safety? Has there been less pressure to innovate or conform as we get further away from 9-11 or do you think that it remains an important issue that (architects, engineers) are actively exploring?
-Among U.S. cities, where does New York's new skyscrapers stand among safety, design and innovation? Among world cities?
-If there was funding available to test different techniques of design for safety, would more firms try to innovate? On a scale of 1 to 10, how important are safety considerations in building design?
-How would incorporating certain safety measures alter the integrity of a building's design? How important is that to you?
-Where does the United States stand in skyscraper design and safety innovation?
-Which materials do you see being incorporated the most for fire safety in skyscrapers? How do you test them?
-What difference in skyscraper safety design do you notice between Class A and Class B buildings?
-What are some ways design could be used to make older skyscrapers safer?
-How could older buildings' materials be upgraded in a cost-effective way?
-Where so you see the importance of (architects, engineers) in exploring new design techniques in skyscraper construction?
-What is the opinion in the (architectural, engineering) community about innovating new safety measures? How has it or has it not become a priority since 9-11?
-In what ways have (architects, engineers) been working together to develop safer ways to build high rises?
-How important is it to the architectural/engineering community to design safer skyscrapers?
-What safety concerns do you see as most important for (architects, engineers)?
-How does your firm approach skyscraper safety?
-Considering the impact the damage to the World Trade Center had on the surrounding buildings, how have (architects, engineers) approached the safety of their design in regards to neighboring buildings?
-How easy is it to bypass or innovate building safety codes?
-How restrictive are building codes on (architectural, engineering) designs? Do you find them problematic?
-What are some conversations that have taken place within the (architectural, engineering) community since 9-11 regarding skyscraper design and safety? Has there been less pressure to innovate or conform as we get further away from 9-11 or do you think that it remains an important issue that (architects, engineers) are actively exploring?
-Among U.S. cities, where does New York's new skyscrapers stand among safety, design and innovation? Among world cities?
-If there was funding available to test different techniques of design for safety, would more firms try to innovate? On a scale of 1 to 10, how important are safety considerations in building design?
-How would incorporating certain safety measures alter the integrity of a building's design? How important is that to you?
Site to check out
I came across a site that might be helpful background info for a lot of people, The Safety Library
The site has information on:
Disasters (disaster safety, emergency management, terrorism)
Hazards and controls (biological safety, chemical safety, environmental safety, fire safety, physical hazards, etc.)
Industry Safety
Laws and Regulations
Safety Management
In addition to compiling research, the site also has a great number of links updated constantly on the issues listed above and others (the list is pretty long, but I selected the most relevant ones for the list above).
The site has information on:
Disasters (disaster safety, emergency management, terrorism)
Hazards and controls (biological safety, chemical safety, environmental safety, fire safety, physical hazards, etc.)
Industry Safety
Laws and Regulations
Safety Management
In addition to compiling research, the site also has a great number of links updated constantly on the issues listed above and others (the list is pretty long, but I selected the most relevant ones for the list above).
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