We have been writing about the critical need for controlling security on your jobsite to prevent possible injuries, to track materials, to avoid tool theft, and in the case of the new One World Trade Center building, to protect the construction sites from falling prey to possible terrorism. This issue is front page again.
CBS New York reported that the newly appointed head of security at the One WTC construction site, former FBI field agent David Velazquez, is taking the fall for recent the security breaches even though the first reported one took place before he had taken over his position.
The Velazquez resignation came on the heels of the disclosure that on September 30 of last year, four thrill-seeking BASE jumpers entered the site through a hole in the security fence, climbed the 104 stories to the top of the building, and then jumped in a stunt that would make GoPro proud.
This major breach was not disclosed until six months after it happened and only after a second breach by teenager Justin Casquejo, age 16, of Weehawken, NJ just a week ago. The Village Voice blog calls Casquejo a “Badass Parkourist”. The undaunted Casquejo climbed the first six floors and then took the construction elevator to the top of the building where he took pictures for over an hour in the middle of the night.
It is a serious flaw that was exposed on one of the most targeted sites in the world. Both the Port Authority and General Contractor Turner Construction are scrambling to close the gaps and secure the site from further breaches. These breaches, which one of the BASE jumpers called “too simple”, point out the vulnerabilities in construction sites even with security present. The One WTC security budget is supposedly $40 million – double the original estimates.
How is the security on your jobsite?
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