As the demolition of the Brown-Munson apartments and the Jones-Goddard residence halls continues, debris, dust and active demolition zones can be real safety concerns for campus community members.
The university would like to reassure students that these projects are safe and the necessary precautions have been taken to successfully and safely demolish these buildings on campus.
All demolition sites have a full-time safety manager in charge, surveillance cameras, and daily checks are done to ensure the safety and security of the sites, Eastern Michigan University's Vice President for Communications, Walter Kraft, said in an email.
Vehicle flaggers who are responsible for controlling traffic flow to protect workers and the public are also present at these sites, Kraft said.
To prevent any unauthorized access to these areas, there is on-site management by construction during work hours, along with full-time surveillance cameras and monitoring by the EMU Police, according to Kraft.
Though students and faculty are allowed to be near these sites, Kraft is assuring students that there is no environmental or safety risk to the public from the demolition process.
Kraft says to ensure this, perimeter air monitoring is performed by a third-party testing firm and in coordination with EMU’s Environmental Health and Safety department, along with the best industry practice and Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliant controlling of any dust and debris.
Though not anticipated, the university has protocols in place for timely communication with the campus community if any unexpected safety issues, delays or concerns arise, he added.
