Managing Evidence Preservation at a Construction Accident Site

摘要

Project management applied to a construction project is normally a straightforward process of organizing trade-specialized installation sequences. However, when confronted with a post construction accident forensic building stabilization and evidence recovery project, specialized procedures must be adapted to comply with specific insurance and legal considerations. The typical post construction accident situation is characterized by a project that is at a standstill because of accidental death of one or more workers during construction, alleged safety violations at the site, potential designer and/or constructor liability, and adversarial relationships among all parties (owner, designer, contractor, subcontractors, suppliers, etc.) Generally, tension among the project participants has escalated to a point that a third-party (often the court system) is required to direct the process. In such cases, a court-ordered protocol is established that requires liability insurance providers to engage a construction management professional to manage the performance of specific post-accident work that makes the premises safe, allows for adequate and necessary forensic investigation, documents existing conditions and preserves evidence, and/or allows evidence to be removed and relocated in a specific fashion for ongoing investigation, and allows parties to determine how to proceed with completing the project (e.g., whether to perform remedial work or demolish and start anew). This paper examines specific lessons learned in various aspects of project management including: coordination, communication, document control, laser scan surveying, procurement, scheduling, cost control, safety, site control and security.