Wind warnings prompt City to highlight securing construction sites

Contractors are being reminded to secure their construction sites in the midst of the heavy rain and wind in Calgary.

City contractors are often notified about weather conditions through the Advanced Weather Forecasting System and Calgary Wind Warning App.

But Cliff De Jong, Senior Special Projects Officer with Calgary Building Services said it became more important to discuss the issue Wednesday.

“The only change really is Environment Canada notifying the public,” he said.

The system gives 48-hour notifications for any construction site that’s five stories or greater in the downtown or Beltline and by 2 p.m., they had been made aware of the wind warnings for 24 hours.

“The requirement is to make sure that nothing happens,” he said, adding safety officers are dispatched to various sites for inspection.

Contractors don’t have to cease operations, but they do have to make sure that items like plywood, Q-decking, bolts and other debris are secure.

“There’s a number of different issues that can be caused from the winds,” De Jong said.

Under the Safety Codes Act, contractors can face fines of up to $100,000 for negligence in a first offence and courts can also take mitigating factors into consideration, such as if injury or damage occurs.

Calgary has been seen its share of debris fly off of buildings and construction sites due to weather, the worst case coming in 2009 when three-year-old Michelle Krsek was struck and killed in the downtown, prompting the current system.

De Jong added fortunately in the last few years, contractors have been generally compliant.

Notifications aren’t only for public safety, but also to allow companies to manage their days around severe weather, so they don’t lose revenue.

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