Wrench falls from Calgary’s Bow building

Another object has come crashing to the ground from a high-rise construction site in downtown Calgary. The latest incident again raises serious concerns about public safety in the Alberta city.

Occupational health and safety

Another object has come crashing to the ground from a high-rise construction site in downtown Calgary. The latest incident again raises serious concerns about public safety in the Alberta city.

“A steel worker on the 45th floor of the Bow Building dropped a spud wrench,” said Chris Chodan, spokesperson for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). “It fell and went through the window of a nearby Calgary police station.”

On Saturday, May 15, at about 11 a.m., the two kilogram tool fell.

The force of the falling wrench was so great that it bounced off the concrete and flew across the street, hit the cement apron in front of city police headquarters and smashed a 20-centimetre hole in a window.

Chodan said no one was injured or killed and OHS is investigating.

“OHS is focusing on what steps the employer is taking to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.

The steel worker, who dropped the tool, works for Supreme Steel, which is part of the Supreme Group.

The primary contractor on the site is Ledcor and the developer of the project is Dallas-based Matthews Southwest.

“Ledcor Construction has proactively contacted all relevant authorities to advise them of the incident,” said the developer in a statement.

“An incident report has been filed onsite. A full investigation is underway and a more detailed statement will be released when more information is available.”

Given the situation, the Calgary police were the first to investigate.

“The wrench turned itself in,” said Calgary Alderman Ric McIver.

“It’s an extremely serious event, because someone could have been killed. This situation can’t be repeated.”

He said City of Calgary building inspectors are also investigating the incident, which will probably lead to new rules and greater enforcement.

The falling wrench is the latest in a string of incidents that has raised concerns about public safety around high-rise construction sites in Calgary.

“We all know someone else was killed in Calgary, when something fell off a building,” said McIver.

“People need to know they will be safe when walking down the street.”

In August 2009, three-year-old Michelle Krsek was killed when she was hit by a bundle of steel roofing materials. The bundle weighed about 500 lbs and fell from 22 storeys during a wind storm.

Her father and seven-year-old brother were badly injured.

The owner of the Germain development, Germain Residences Ltd., general contractor Grenville-Germain Calgary Limited Partnership and the subcontractor-Flynn Canada Ltd., were all charged with Alberta Building Code violations.

OHS also carried out inspections of more than 20 high-rise sites in Calgary and Edmonton. In addition, 35 high-rise sites in Calgary were inspected by the city.

In the same month, a large mirrored pane of glass fell from a construction site at the Palliser South tower. Huge shards of glass plunged to the sidewalk and street below. No one was injured.

In another incident at the Bow tower in September 2009, a small crane dangled off the side of the building and dropped its load.

The crane failed, when it was lifting a window panel, which fell 20 feet to the ground. No one was injured.

A tether stopped the crane from plunging three stories to the ground. However, the crane smashed a window as it dangled over the side.

Around the same time in September, a piece of scaffolding fell from the 19th storey of the Penn West Tower and crashed onto a parkade ramp. Again, no one was injured.

In May 2009, 27-year-old Lance Orr was killed when a load of concrete forms fell on him at the same construction site.

Orr, a rigger, was assisting the crane operator with the movement of a number of heavy forms on the 21st floor of the building.

The forms shifted in the sling, which caused them to slip out and fall onto the worker. The forms weighed about 1,800 lbs.

In the aftermath of Krsek’s death and the other incidents, the city, OHS and the Calgary Construction Association formed a committee to study improving safety options.

The main objective of this taskforce is to develop a best practices guide in four areas: 1) materials and equipment on site; 2) hoisting of material; 3) hoarding; and traffic control management.

These best practices will be implemented into the Certificate of Recognition program, which is available to all members and associate members of the Alberta Construction Safety Association.

One of the committee’s first actions has been to explore the feasibility of engaging a vendor to provide an early warning weather system and to develop a best practices construction safety guide.

A draft of the best practices guide was scheduled for completion in April. Something should be published by May.