WATCH ABOVE: Officials with the province and city are trying to determine how a home under construction in south-end Halifax collapsed and whether codes and regulations were followed. Rebecca Lau reports.
Halifax – Officials with the province and city are trying to determine how a home under construction in south-end Halifax collapsed and whether codes and regulations were followed.
The incident happened at around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon at a home on Lucknow Street near Fenwick Street.
Construction crews were working on an addition to the building and pouring concrete on an upper level, when it suddenly collapsed.
A worker was injured and had to be rescued from the roof by firefighters with an aerial apparatus. His injuries are described as not serious.
READ MORE: Construction worker injured in Halifax building collapse
A next-door neighbour who witnessed the crash says it’s fortunate the collapse didn’t cause more damage or serious injury.
“I think we were all lucky,” said Nina, who declined to give her last name.
“They were lucky that no one was in the building and we were lucky that it didn’t collapse on our house.”
Meanwhile, six tenants from the other building next door have been forced from their homes due to safety concerns. The Canadian Red Cross is assisting some of the residents with emergency lodging and food.
On Tuesday morning, officials with the Department of Labour and Advanced Education were on scene surveying the damage.
“Our focus right now is stabilizing the scene and protecting the integrity of the structure as it is right now and making sure that nearby homes are not effected by any further damage,” said Scott Nauss, the regional director of Occupational Health and Safety.
“We’ll be trying to determine why the building failed and whether the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations were followed.”
Nauss says the original building and the addition are both considered structurally-compromised and will have to be demolished.
According to city permits issued in March, the project was for an “addition to the existing dwelling to create 11 units.”
City officials were also on site on Tuesday inspecting the structure to see if the work was code compliant. The building passed two inspections in May — one for footing and another for underground plumbing.
The owner of the construction company connected with the project could not be reached for comment.
The CEO of the Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association says the incident serves as a reminder about the importance of safety and regulations.
“Concrete is tremendously heavy,” said Paul Pettipas. “If you don’t have that bracing, if you don’t have that material holding it up, the whole structure will be pulled down.”
Pettipas says if the province’s investigation reveals any deficiencies, the association will put out safety notices to their members.
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