Comments on: Censoring construction updates http://www.internaldialogue.nl/2008/11/13/censoring-construction-updates/ stuff from my world Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:46:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michiel http://www.internaldialogue.nl/2008/11/13/censoring-construction-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Michiel Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:37:53 +0000 http://www.internaldialogue.nl/?p=331#comment-133 Yes Ivan, that's not altogether unthinkable :) I suppose it is a nice form of 'undercover inspection': no one on site is aware that they're being watched. And I think you're right about the safety requirements. I've been on that forum for a while now, and I've seen a lot of photos of unsafe situations. It's like you said: you have to take certain risks, because otherwise costs would skyrocket. Playing it safe is extremely expensive. If you could choose between hoisting yourself into a safety harness or holding onto a mate while you screw a bolt into a steel girder for just 30 seconds, it's much easier and cheaper to choose the latter option. Five workers died during construction of the Empire State Building, and two or three people have died in recent years during the construction of the Burj Dubai. Not much has changed in 75 years. Safety guidelines have increased dramatically, but if you don't follow all of them all the time, accidents will still happen. I think this is a well known fact anyway (I mean, if we know, inspectors must certainly know), so do my photographs of dangerous situations really make things worse? There was some discussion about serious unsafe situations in the Maastoren thread (Rotterdam), but I didn't even see anyone suggest the possibility of censuring photos over there. Yes Ivan, that’s not altogether unthinkable :) I suppose it is a nice form of ‘undercover inspection’: no one on site is aware that they’re being watched.

And I think you’re right about the safety requirements. I’ve been on that forum for a while now, and I’ve seen a lot of photos of unsafe situations. It’s like you said: you have to take certain risks, because otherwise costs would skyrocket. Playing it safe is extremely expensive. If you could choose between hoisting yourself into a safety harness or holding onto a mate while you screw a bolt into a steel girder for just 30 seconds, it’s much easier and cheaper to choose the latter option.

Five workers died during construction of the Empire State Building, and two or three people have died in recent years during the construction of the Burj Dubai. Not much has changed in 75 years. Safety guidelines have increased dramatically, but if you don’t follow all of them all the time, accidents will still happen. I think this is a well known fact anyway (I mean, if we know, inspectors must certainly know), so do my photographs of dangerous situations really make things worse? There was some discussion about serious unsafe situations in the Maastoren thread (Rotterdam), but I didn’t even see anyone suggest the possibility of censuring photos over there.

]]> By: Ivan http://www.internaldialogue.nl/2008/11/13/censoring-construction-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Ivan Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:48:03 +0000 http://www.internaldialogue.nl/?p=331#comment-132 Contractors like painters and electricians are used for lots of sub projects. They are required to deliver projects within a certain time span, therefor safety requirements are often ignored. Contractors who follow safety guidelines are more expensive and take longer to get the job done (also more expensive). For large projects like these an estimated death count is calculated, like "1.7 deaths" upon completion. In posting your pictures there's both job security, privacy, safety and social ethics involved. But it's not your responsibility, you're taking pictures of a building after all. I think it's not unlikely the labor inspection tracks these websites. Perhaps a popular activity for the inspector when it's stormy and raining? ;) Contractors like painters and electricians are used for lots of sub projects. They are required to deliver projects within a certain time span, therefor safety requirements are often ignored. Contractors who follow safety guidelines are more expensive and take longer to get the job done (also more expensive). For large projects like these an estimated death count is calculated, like “1.7 deaths” upon completion. In posting your pictures there’s both job security, privacy, safety and social ethics involved. But it’s not your responsibility, you’re taking pictures of a building after all.

I think it’s not unlikely the labor inspection tracks these websites. Perhaps a popular activity for the inspector when it’s stormy and raining? ;)

]]> By: Michiel http://www.internaldialogue.nl/2008/11/13/censoring-construction-updates/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Michiel Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:44:13 +0000 http://www.internaldialogue.nl/?p=331#comment-130 I actually wrote about user-generated content censorship just a week ago <a href="http://epubtrends.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/publicatierechten/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. This was my fourth and final entry for the course in which we had to write four blogs about e-publishing. I even received that private message the very same day; unfortunately I didn't notice it until today. I actually wrote about user-generated content censorship just a week ago here. This was my fourth and final entry for the course in which we had to write four blogs about e-publishing. I even received that private message the very same day; unfortunately I didn’t notice it until today.

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