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From the Boston Department of Bad Timing: Mayor celebrates International Building Safety Month, then has to rush over to South Boston

Three of the photos from the Building Safety celebration

Thumbnail versions of some of the images from the Flickr RSS feed.

Mayor Wu, ISD officials and various local construction-industry panjandrums and workers put on hard hats and celebrated International Building Safety Month today by going on a tour of Boston University's still unfinished Jenga Building, um, Center for Computing and Data Sciences in Kenmore Square.

A city photographer was on hand and posted 30 photos to the mayor's official Flickr account this afternoon.

And then promptly had to take them all down because of what was going on over in South Boston - a scene to which Wu and City Council President Ed Flynn of South Boston rushed.

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Comments

That Government Center Garage collapse is like a distant memory at this point.

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When the BU building Wu visited was in the early phases of construction, there was a dramatic accident where several I-beams toppled into one another like dominoes. Several workers were hurt, although none too seriously.

Not the building I’d pick as an example of sterling safety.

WCVB video of beams falling

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Potemkin administration

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It is a good thing for the Wu that Adam is such a fan of her. Otherwise his posts could be spotlighting the fact that one of her major missions is to get rid of a certain building agency in the city, and that there have been 2 major construction tragedies on her short watch.

But at least she is keeping the harbor in its place and the sun seems to be rising every morning. Thank Wu.

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Good thing she was elected more than "construction site supervisor in chief." You wouldn't have held Walsh personally responsible for a mishap like this, but I guess it's easier for a certain type of person to throw dirt on women.

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If so, shame on her!

We all know that the role of the elected mayor is to directly see all workplace safety by all private employers at all times.

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But nice try. Here's your participation trophy.

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Edison is a complicated project that has received extensive and, in some instances, unprecedented community input. As part of the community input many members of the community were of the opinion that safety during construction for the greater Southie community was paramount. The discussions primarily involved the existence of the hazardous materials known to be on the site, and that during the demolition (deconstruction) phase these hazards would be most likely beat risk of being released into the greater Southie community. The elected officials and BPDA taking a cue from the resident’s concerns, required Redgate Hilco to utilize a deconstruction strategy that would minimize the risk of exposure to the community. The BPDA, ISD & the elected officials made the decision that utilizing wrecking balls, dropping walls, and explosive use would pose increased risk to the community. This resulted in the deconstruction strategy being employed. It is certain that this deconstruction strategy (essentially picking apart the buildings piece by piece) would create less noise and would minimize the potential of hazardous materials becoming airborne and adversely affect the residents of Southie. But what the BPDA, ISD and the elected officials did not consider is that by requiring Redgate/Hilco to utilize this vastly more expensive and time-consuming method, they were inadvertently placing the deconstruction workers at greater risk. Piece by piece removal is inherently riskier to the workers when compared to other industry standard demolition methods. For sure the BPDA, ISD and the elected officials were acting in the best interest of Southie residents, but these actions placed the workers in a position of increased risk. It is yet to be determined by OSHA if the deconstruction contractor in any way did not follow safety protocols, task-based risk assessment plans that are in place or if the very nature of the demolition strategy imposed by the City government is what placed these workers at risk, resulting in their injuries.

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Are Redgate & Hilco passing the buck?

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ISD, but Wu has not proposed eliminating that.

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Before ISD gets deeply involved on a Counter 2 (Large Project) like this, the BPDA must review and approve all aspects of the project including the plan for demolition. The BPDA is losing high quality staff since Walsh left knowing that the winds of change lead to uncertainty for their jobs and their agency. That is to be expected, but makes the agency stressed in meeting its obligations.

My point is that you would never even offer even the most minor criticism of Wu in any area. Somehow you have too much invested in supporting her that you are blind to any faults. People are being maimed and dying on City regulated building demolition projects. The prior one led to significant economic fallout due to the T shutdown of the Orange and Green lines. The State has responsibility also, but the city has to accept a share of the blame as well. Just not to you and the Wu.

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This is the same agency so well run and organized that they could not find the document binding the Hancock Tower to maintain a public observation platform.

So much for oblique criticism of Wu via the unelected authority that has terrible city power (eminent domain) and yet answers to no one (well, to the developers whose will the BRA tries to make manifest).

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Now look out below. I just hope that at some point we can get a straight answer about the BPDA assets and sources and uses of funds. Bring it all onto the City financial statements where it belongs. Right now it's about as transparent as college admissions.

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Just say what the specific building agency is and what she's doing to get rid of it. I assure you no one will think your criticism of Wu is less valid because you actually said what it is you think she's doing wrong.

...unless...

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All window dressing over substance.

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You'd never just hang this around your good old boy mayors and then just walk off. But go ahead and keep telling on yourself.

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If you are going to post some Anon crap, at least get someone who uses proper grammar and has the ability to make a coherent counterpoint. Thanks.

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He’s saying you hold the female Asian mayor to a different standard and treat her differently than you did the dozens of white men who preceded her. Do you dispute that, or just object to someone who calls you out?

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If we had a mayor named Michael Patrick Murphy FitzPatrick and he was my cousin, I would still say he as mayor is doing a bad job highlighting worker safety three weeks after someone was killed and then doing nothing about it except hold a photo op while three more people are hurt.

I actually want her to do a great job, but she isn't. The Globe had a story a last week about a family living in a car when they were burned out of their apartment on BHA. Where was the mayor on that?

Stop race and gender baiting you racist twit.

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I thought you were popping off earlier about coherent counterpoints?

Again, beyond parody!

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Silly rabbit. Rhoda was a dear but never a mayor.

But wobbly pixelated darts are easier to throw than to actual do the leg work of learning why the accidents happened.

Who needs facts when flyby accusations are easier.

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She worked as a window dresser the first two years of the show.

Sit down and be quiet.

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You've become fond of telling people who question your comments to go away, or be quiet, or other dismissive commands, as though you had some authority to do so. You don't have any such authority. Some of us would be just as happy to not see your opaque complaints, based on obscure pop-culture references or full of nod-nod, wink-wink allusions to supposed insider information. You're not half as clever as you think, and aren't really adding value here.

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There's just more construction projects going on right now than there are competent builders?

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Managed by Suffolk. Who would you suggest?

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If the Hub had a consistent tag for construction accidents because it does seem like there have been a lot lately.

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Can someone clue me in how this is the mayors fault as some are saying

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