All articles tagged with #construction safety
James McCrery II, the lead architect for the White House ballroom, resigned in October 2025 after President Donald Trump dismissed concerns that the design violated fire and safety codes. Trump reportedly stated that building codes did not apply to the White House, asserting 'I am the code.' The project, managed outside standard federal oversight, continues despite unresolved safety questions and legal challenges.
The first architect of the White House ballroom, James McCrery II, resigned in October 2025 after clashing with President Donald Trump over design features that McCrery believed violated fire and safety codes. Trump reportedly dismissed these concerns, stating that building codes did not apply to the White House and asserting that 'I am the code.' The project, which has faced legal challenges over its authorization and scale, is being managed through the Executive Residence office, which is not subject to the same federal agency oversight as other government construction projects.
In Lahore, Pakistan, the roof of an ageing tutoring centre collapsed, killing at least 14 children aged about 4–12 and injuring a teacher plus eight others; the centre’s owner and another person were arrested as rescuers comb through rubble, with officials citing poor construction and an unfinished second floor. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for an immediate investigation and medical aid for the injured.
Thailand recorded its second fatal crane accident in as many days after a crane on an elevated Rama 2 Expressway collapsed near Bangkok, killing at least two as authorities halted all aboveground construction during investigations; the same contractor, Italian-Thai Development, was linked to yesterday’s crane-on-train disaster that left about 32 dead, underscoring long‑standing safety and oversight concerns in Thailand’s construction sector which has seen hundreds of deaths and injuries in recent years.
A section of the newly built Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan, China, partially collapsed due to a landslide, with no casualties reported. The bridge, opened in April and part of a major highway, was under scrutiny after cracks and instability were previously identified, raising concerns about safety in rapid infrastructure development. The collapse highlights ongoing safety issues in China's ambitious construction projects.
The construction of Elon Musk's Las Vegas Loop tunnel, intended to connect hotels and the convention center, has been plagued by safety issues, with workers facing hazardous conditions including deep mud, chemical accelerants, and resulting burns. An investigation by Nevada's OSHA revealed workers being scarred permanently on their arms and legs, with at least one employee suffering a direct hit to the face, highlighting serious workplace safety concerns.
A 33-year-old construction worker was killed in Brooklyn when the first floor of a residential home collapsed during illegal construction work. The Department of Buildings had issued a partial stop-work order in December, but the work continued, leading to the fatal incident. The victim, Juan Ganche, had immigrated from Ecuador and worked in construction for 14 years. This tragedy highlights the ongoing issue of construction site safety in New York City, where construction-related fatalities have been on the rise, prompting lawmakers to enact stricter penalties for companies whose workers are killed or injured on the job.
Taiwanese microchip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), has agreed to increased oversight and safety measures for construction workers at its first U.S. plant in Arizona. The voluntary protection program includes higher safety requirements than federal standards, greater transparency for workers, closer oversight from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health, and increased training for foremen and workers. The construction of the plant, which began in 2021, is expected to be completed in 2024 and will utilize TSMC's 5-nanometer technology for semiconductor wafer fabrication. The company has faced criticism for bringing in workers from Taiwan, but TSMC has stated that the jobs of U.S. workers on-site will not be affected.