Site Visit in Golden

      For this site visit, Duane and I visited the construction site in Golden by Golden High School. The site is to be a mixed use building with apartments on the upper floors and commercial suites on ground level. Not a whole lot of progress was made yet on this site and no work was being done while we were observing. The elevator shaft looked to be fully built and a decent amount of framework had gone up for the bottom level. The only 2 workers we noticed on the site were napping underneath this framework. We decided that there were probably safer spots to take a nap... not off to a great start. If you look closely at this picture, you may be able to make out their neon green vests on the far side of the site.



        There were 2 openings in the fence line where we easily could have gained access to the site but we decided not to go in because there were signs saying it was a hard hat area and we didn't have ours. Look at us being safe. The lack of activity at the site made it hard to really observe any unsafe actions being taken by the workers, but based on what we observed the site was fairly organized and clutter-free. This is a picture taken at one of the fence openings, presumably where trucks and vehicles entered and exited. 


      The next topic which we didn't immediately notice but is potentially the most hazardous part of the site was the proximity to over head power lines. A steel frame located on the western side of the site which was about 30 feet tall was within 10-15 feet of these lines. It would have been much more of a concern when the frame was going up, obviously. While the frame is theoretically not going to move at all now, it was still a bit shocking seeing how close they came. We thought that before this building was opened to the public, the lines there would simply need to move. They could be moved to the other side of Jackson Street or moved underground. This may not be the case though because if that was the plan, they probably would have been moved prior to construction. One positive note about these lines as it pertains to safety, the ladder on this side of the site had non-conductive rails... a definite positive.


     Despite the lack of activity, Duane and I were able to see and discuss many potential hazards of the site. We think that the team and foreman were responsibly and safely going about their business. I do wish we could have been there when more was going on, but sometimes you just have to take what you're given. As I drive by this site quite frequently, I will be taking further notes on the progress being made and the work conditions as they evolve with time.

Comments

  1. SusanRMarch 12, 2018 at 3:09 PM

    Cool! Very good job on this post overall, and nice photos. It sounds like the videos helped make you more aware of the power lines, too.

    ReplyDelete

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