Stair Safety ?

[3930dave]

Stairway to bureaucracy: Toronto to tear down park stairs after man steps up to build them himself | CTV News

Or Gravy Train safety ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Cord]

Oh, gaud. I see so many things wrong with those stairs!!!!!!!!

 

[ArlyA]

Well ya, I just watched the video. I will say it was low cost, cheaply designed stairs, but that's the only positive comment I can make about there construction......

 

[tcreeley]

They do the job, better than what was there.

 

[inthe country]

Yea, as a carpenter for the last 40 years, I would not admit I built them. I would be happy to fix them for $64,450.00.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Ill fix them for $64,000. But thats my rock bottom price.

 

[3930dave]

They do the job, better than what was there.

I'm sure that the elderly lady who broke her wrist before they were built would have preferred to use them.

Are those stairs going to last 25 years through our Winters ? No. Then again, plenty of megadollar gubmint-approved projects don't either.....

That's my take on it too..... big improvement for not much money.

Rgds, D.

 

[smstonypoint]

One of my favorite blogs is Marginal Revolution. The blog itself presents interesting ideas and the comments provided by readers are often insightful and sometimes a real hoot. This made me laugh.

"Toronto should hire a tumbling consultant to teach people the safe way to fall."

Who's complacent? (arbitrage for Ontario) - Marginal REVOLUTION

Steve

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Those stairs are an accident waiting to happen. No one likes the gubmint, but those stairs need to go.

 

[3930dave]

One of my favorite blogs is Marginal Revolution. The blog itself presents interesting ideas and the comments provided by readers are often insightful and sometimes a real hoot. This made me laugh.

"Toronto should hire a tumbling consultant to teach people the safe way to fall."

Who's complacent? (arbitrage for Ontario) - Marginal REVOLUTION

Steve

As was pointed out though, it would have to be a certified tumbling consultant....

Rgds, D.

 

[smstonypoint]

As was pointed out though, it would have to be a certified tumbling consultant....

Rgds, D.

A fair point.

Steve

 

[3930dave]

Driving today, I heard a clip on the radio quoting a politician referring to this mechanic/builder/stair vigilante as a "Rule Breaker, who is being rewarded".

Perhaps I'm the only one who finds that quote severely ironic, coming in the same month a terrorist is handed $10.5MM....

The Law, and legal maneuvering..... funny how that gets played..... many times the relevant authorities are indifferent to legitimate requests like this situation, even when liabilities are present due to existing conditions.

Let somebody show some initiative..... Game On !

Not for the first time, I'm glad I grew up when I did. One or 2 Winters back, I posted a thread about Ontario cities outlawing tobogganing.

Up To Code ? Probably should shut down the Bruce and Trans-Canada Trails too, before somebody twists their ankle on a non-compliant stair riser.....

The people that actually need this kind of bubble wrapping wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes in my grandparents era.

Rgds, D.

 

[tcreeley]

For a while the push in Maine was to build creative playgrounds for children in the different communities through the state through local fundraising. People loved it, kids included. Then it was pointed out that it was done with toxic pressure treated wood. ......That is not so cool anymore! We need to go back to the frozen steel jungle gyms that your tongue could freeze to in the winter!

 

[ray66v]

If the stairs were built properly, with the exception of not having the proper permits, I could understand the arguments defending this. But, the stairs were not even close to being built to code.

Some codes do seem stupid, and unnecessary. But, the purpose of building codes is to enhance safety. Much of it is done as a result of real problems. Several of the code issues on these stairs, can result in injuries that could easily be prevented.

The governing body cannot, and should not look the other way, and ignore the rules when it benefits them.

Doing so, would leave a them wide open to potentially serious exploitation by ambulance chasers, for payouts far beyond the tens of thousands these stairs purportedly will cost.

 

[3930dave]

For a while the push in Maine was to build creative playgrounds for children in the different communities through the state through local fundraising. People loved it, kids included. Then it was pointed out that it was done with toxic pressure treated wood.View attachment 516162......That is not so cool anymore! We need to go back to the frozen steel jungle gyms that your tongue could freeze to in the winter!

Yesterday, the wife and I visited a provincial park we'd never been to before.

Didn't look at it up close (might have been an engineered composite), but many kids were having a great time playing on what looked like a brand-new big tubular steel gym - esp. on the overhead hand-over-hand hoops you had to swing to the next one from.

These things do seem to move in circles...... licking the old copper PT wood probably wasn't a good idea. New PT boards here are definitely a different colour - haven't chased down the chemistry, but it's probably another 25% safer material, that falls apart 10 times faster......

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

If the stairs were built properly, with the exception of not having the proper permits, I could understand the arguments defending this. But, the stairs were not even close to being built to code.

Some codes do seem stupid, and unnecessary. But, the purpose of building codes is to enhance safety. Much of it is done as a result of real problems. Several of the code issues on these stairs, can result in injuries that could easily be prevented.

The governing body cannot, and should not look the other way, and ignore the rules when it benefits them.

Doing so, would leave a them wide open to potentially serious exploitation by ambulance chasers, for payouts far beyond the tens of thousands these stairs purportedly will cost.

^ Excellent points.

Almost done my coffee, and now have to get some major Honey-Do Items done, if I know what's good for me....

I'll be back, later.....

Rgds, D.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

If the stairs were built properly, with the exception of not having the proper permits, I could understand the arguments defending this. But, the stairs were not even close to being built to code.

Some codes do seem stupid, and unnecessary. But, the purpose of building codes is to enhance safety. Much of it is done as a result of real problems. Several of the code issues on these stairs, can result in injuries that could easily be prevented.

The governing body cannot, and should not look the other way, and ignore the rules when it benefits them.

Doing so, would leave a them wide open to potentially serious exploitation by ambulance chasers, for payouts far beyond the tens of thousands these stairs purportedly will cost.

California has what they refer to as " zero tolerance " enforcement on ADA inspections. I have seen building inspectors fail things you don't know exist. A bathroom mirror a 1/4" too high, toilet paper holder too low/ high / far off the wall by less than a quarter inch, a Braille exit sign 1/4 inch too low, an ADA accessable desk a HEAVY 32nd of an inch too high!!! And my favorite... the arch in the stream of water from a water fountain was a quarter inch too high.... They actually have private inspectors now to come to your business to check items like this to keep you from being sued.

 

[ray66v]

California has what they refer to as " zero tolerance " enforcement on ADA inspections. I have seen building inspectors fail things you don't know exist. A bathroom mirror a 1/4" too high, toilet paper holder too low/ high / far off the wall by less than a quarter inch, a Braille exit sign 1/4 inch too low, an ADA accessable desk a HEAVY 32nd of an inch too high!!! And my favorite... the arch in the stream of water from a water fountain was a quarter inch too high.... They actually have private inspectors now to come to your business to check items like this to keep you from being sued.

I am intimately familiar with trying to comply with ever changing building codes, ADA regulations, and the **** like way, some inspectors do their jobs.

Getting on an inspectors bad side, is also sure way to suffer death by code book.

Please do not get the impression I am a fan of that.

No system of governing has ever, or will ever be perfect.

 

[CincyFlyer]

...... licking the old copper PT wood probably wasn't a good idea. New PT boards here are definitely a different colour - haven't chased down the chemistry, but it's probably another 25% safer material, that falls apart 10 times faster......

Rgds, D.

I wouldn't worry about the copper treated boards—that's what you can buy today. It's the arsenic treated boards that bother some folks.

 

[3930dave]

No system of governing has ever, or will ever be perfect.

And it's not just govt, but large organizations in general. Ever try and get something new done in a large corporation ? Smart corporations put a lot of ergs into fighting that internally, but that's a whole other thread or 2 on it's own.....

Those who know me (real-world) realize that I build to code, and often better. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with water fountain arcs though, yet.....

So no, I'm not advocating shoddy construction either.

With Govt, and large companies, the default smart play is often to Do Nothing. General inertia is a big part of that, but fear of liability is too - better to make no decision, than one that may apportion blame.....

A well worn footpath on a side-hill in a public park - logical place to put stairs - Right ? Not so fast...... I can see a Consultants Report being needed to put in front of Council, then one counciller needs clarification, so the report gets sent back for amendment....... and on and on......

But this time this process actually wraps up (final stairs built) I can see even that $150k (Can.) # coming up fast. Not joking, and I've deliberately skipped over the "other" factors that typically siphon off money in govt contracts.....

Even major cities have to (at least pretend to) pay attention to budgets. So once you have something like a $5k stair costing 15 to 30 times what it should, then that tends to lead to situations like this Etobicoke park being ignored. Yes, residents there (and elsewhere) have plenty of reasons to be fed up with this systemic inefficiency.

Getting Things Done really only comes down to Make a Decision, and Take Action. Sometimes, officialdom (and myself, being honest :laughing needs to be reminded of that.

Rgds, D.