- Author
- Snell, J. E.
- Title
- Proposed National Construction Safety Team Act.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Book or Conf
- Fire Protection Strategies for 21st Century Building and Fire Codes Symposium. EXTENDED ABSTRACTS. Proceedings. Society of Fire Protection Engineers and American Institute of Architects. September 17-18, 2002, Baltimore, MD, 9-13 p., 2002
- Keywords
- fire protection | fire codes | construction | investigations | research facilities
- Identifiers
- Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL)/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); HR 4687: National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act; relevance to the World Trade Center (WTC) investigation
- Abstract
- When disaster strikes, we as a nation, have learned to mobilize emergency response teams to effect search and rescue and to mitigate the immediate consequences. If criminal wrongdoing is suspected, the FBI and/or the BATF spring into action. If an accident occurs involving interstate commerce, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) takes jurisdiction and conducts a thorough investigation to determine the probable cause, derive lessons learned and to forward its recommendations to the Department of Transportation. However, when a major building collapses, a major fire or industrial incident or natural disaster occurs, or a terrorist attack occurs such as on September 11,2001, there is no "NTSB"-like responsibility. No one has the responsibility, the technical competencies or resources dedicated. to: 1. Conduct an investigation to determine probable technical cause, and review it in the context of current practice and codes and standards, 2. Derive the lessons learned, 3. Produce the technical basis for needed changes or improvements to practice or standards and codes. 4. Maintain a repository of data on such incidents and lessons derived therefrom, and 5. Issue advisories to appropriate public- and private-sector bodies to reduce the future risks of such events. This paper discusses some actions taken since September 11, 2001, to address this need.