L&I Says Rowhome Collapse That Caused Injuries “Is Not a Big Deal”
A Google Street View image shows 3026 and the surrounding homes in 2011.
Around 10:40 this morning, a large chunk of an imminently dangerous building on West Diamond Street fell on top of two workers for Gama Wrecking. A witness to the events at 3026 Diamond told Action News “it was a freak accident, wrong place at the wrong time.”
It’s an unfortunate reality that demolishing imminently dangerous buildings — L&I’s current bailiwick — is itself a dangerous task, even when, as in this case, workers adhere to every safety regulation and procedure and wear all required gear.
From NBC Philadelphia:
The building, which according to city records is owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority, partially collapsed a few weeks ago and was being torn down as part of the city’s relatively new effort to aggressively get rid of the 500 most imminently dangerous buildings.
“We are trying to triage the worst of the worst,” said [L&I’s Scott] Mulderig whose division was launched on January 1 to identify the most dangerous structures, oversee demolition efforts and clean and seal the city’s estimated 25,000 vacant properties.
In an interesting PR move, L&I’s spokesperson Rebecca Swanson told NBC that today’s accident, which sent the two workers to the hospital, “is not a big deal.”
• Rowhome Collapses in Strawberry Mansion, At Least 2 Hurt
