When Small Changes Have Big Consequences
This is a current event article, but we need to backtrack a little because this story first started back in July.
In July, a 2-story parking garage and the 10-story building that sits on top of it in Glen Burnie, Maryland, had to be closed due to structural shifts.
On July 9th, unpermitted construction work in the garage is believed to be what led to exposed rebar, a partial collapse of the 1st floor of the garage, and a bowed roof on the 2nd floor. This partial collapse then caused concern that the building above was no longer structurally sound and had to be evacuated. For safety, a 150-foot perimeter was set up around the building in case of collapse, and all the cars in the parking garage had to remain in place.
It was reported that 100 vehicles were stuck in the garage, with the first half of those becoming safely accessible for the first time on September 21st. This was after an engineer and construction workers developed and implemented a plan to brace part of the structure in a way that made it safe to remove the first batch of vehicles.
The partial collapse has had a large impact on people and businesses inside the building, as well as businesses nearby. Could you imagine having your office closed suddenly without access to any personal belongings or work materials? On top of that, if you parked in the parking garage, your car suddenly becomes inaccessible. The financial and personal difficulties for anyone who parked in that parking garage, works in the building, or owns a business within the 150-foot perimeter are significant.
This is still an active investigation, but initial reports indicate that the unpermitted construction compromised the structure. It is not yet known whether permitted work would have produced the same result. However, the permitting process requires a proposed change to be reviewed before work begins, creating an opportunity to identify structural concerns, establish safeguards, and ensure the proposed work is consistent with an approved plan.
This story may not apply directly to the parking garage operators reading this, but the lesson does.
We often think of procedures as burdensome when they seem unnecessary for a small task. But procedures exist because we cannot always see the risks that a seemingly minor change can create. This is why having procedures and being sure they are being followed is so important.
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