Damaged in the 9/11 attacks, the Deutsche Bank Building is being deconstructed.

New York’s construction attorneys are watching the deconstruction of the unoccupied Deutsche Bank Building with piqued interest.  Heavily damaged in the 9/11 attacks, the building was supposed to come down by 2005.  The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the firm managing the deconstruction, is working with the contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, to maintain adequate levels of employee safety throughout the process and remain on schedule.

“The goal is to improve efficiency, but not at the sacrifice of safety. Sometimes easier said then done, but we’re all optimistic,” said New York construction accident lawyer David Perecman.

All throughout the deconstruction process, the LMDC retained the services of environmental consultants to conduct environmental testing of the building materials, possible toxic hazards, dust, and mold.

Upon completion, the vacant lot will be incorporated into the new World Trade Center development.

As an industry, the practice of deconstruction is new to many in the risk community such as attorneys, insurance brokers, surety professionals and underwriters.  Workers compensation and OSHA do not have documented safety manuals specifically for deconstruction and the insurance community does not have adequate actuarial data to effectively assess the risks to people and property and set adequate rates for deconstruction projects and contractors.

I am currently working with the state of Ohio’s Bureau of Workers Compensation (one of three monopolistic states for WC) and several insurance companies in drafting safety guidelines, educating underwriters as to the unique risks of deconstruction and providing research on successful deconstruction projects to date.