Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-19
amendment to Regulations
Outlines Procedure for Raz-
ing of Structures.
CURB ON ACCIDENTS
SOUGHT BY NEW RULING
Two Fatalities in Excavation Last
Fall Result in Adoption
of Measure. !

An accident on October IS, 1928, in
which two workmen we're killed and two
injured in the cave-in of a wall around
an excavation at Fourteenth and K
streets during construction of a build
ing, bore fruit today in an amendment
TO the building regulations adopted by
the Commissioners. The accident was
the subject Of report by the Bureau
OF Efficiency at the time, although the
new regulation does not follow in de-
tail the regulation recommended by
that bureau.
Procedure Is Outlined.
The amendment, which is a new
paragraph B to part 8 Of section III
of the regulations. reads as follows:
THE owner, as well as the contractor
or other persons in charge of the raz-
ing or the taking down of structure,
in whole, or in part, shall provide ade-
quate safeguards, as outlined below, to
protect the lives and limbs Of the work.
men engaged therein, and the work
shall be under the supervision of a
qualified foreman, who shall remain on
the job while razing is in progress;
provided, however, that in the raZing
of all structures the owner or applicant
shall include in his application an ade-
quate description of the structure to
be RACED and the method to be used
in raZing same; and in buildings over
three stories in height. or in the dis
erection of the inspector Of buildings, a
special inspector shall be appointed by
the owner. whose appointment shall be
approved by the inspector OF buildings.
and whose duties shall be to see that
the razing OF a structure is carried on
in full accord with these regulations.
The special inspector shall file with
the inspector of buildings weekly reports
Of the progress of the work under his
supervision, and he shall be employed
for such time as is necessary to super
wise the work on the structure being
demolished as is determined by the
inspector of buildings. Necessary safe
guards shall consist of such props.
posts. braces. stages, platforms and
scaffolding as may be necessary to pro-
vide SUFFICIENT strength and rigidity to
the portions CT the building being taken
down or removed to insure the safety
OF the workmen employed.
Orderly Razing Demanded.
"Razing shall begin at the top Of the
structure and proceed downward. No
wall, beam. column, or the like, sup
porting any load shall be disturbed or
weakened until such load is entirely
1cilONc0. All WolIo olldll NC
removed. unit by unit, and in a man.
ner approved by the inspector of build
ings. All loosened material and debris
shall be removed from time to time so
as not TO accumulate in such quantity
or such weight as may overload any
floor platform or scaffold. Plain or
reinforced concrete structures shall be
RACED in such sections and such man.
ner as is approved by the inspector of
buildings.
mo structure or portion thereof be-
ing demolished or declared to be dan
gerous under the provisions OF section
1. part /, of the building regulations
shall be thrown, pulled or blasted I'M
less special approval is given by the in
spector of buildings upon application, in
writing, by the owner or his agent, to
do so.
"All material and rubbish apt to pro-
duce dust must be kept wet or covered
to prevent It's being blown about by the
wind"