Crane Collapse Draws Attention to Laxity of Building Inspections

The crane collapse last week that killed seven people showed just how weak the enforcement of safety rules and building codes are in New York City. In addition to the inspector who was arrested for faking a report on the inspection of the crane that collapsed on the East Side, engineer Jose Vargas was arraigned this month for failing to complete a final inspection on a discount store in the Bronx. The building collapsed unexpectedly during a fire in 2006, killing two firefighters. The Buildings Dept. is conducting a review of 29 other buildings that Vargas never signed off on.

The Buildings Dept. said that it issued 52,000 construction permits in 2007 under a directive that requires final inspections by an architect or engineer. It also admits that it has no idea how many final inspections were actually done. Critics say the lack of oversight is systemic and not limited to a few bad apples.

Separately, the Buildings Dept. has only assigned two inspectors to investigate the 250 cranes in the city after last week's collapse, which means it could be six months before the job is done.

Fog of Construction, by Atomische at flickr