Wind Detection System Saves Lives
Southern Alberta is often plagued by rapidly developing high speed winds. These winds can cause havoc with construction material on sites. In response to a tragic death of a child from high winds knocking construction equipment off a building in 2009 the City of Calgary in association with the Calgary Construction Association developed the Advanced Weather Forecasting System (AWFS).
The results so far have been positive. The City of Calgary noted, as reported in the Calgary Herald, the number of complaint calls for construction debris has fallen from 32 to 24 over the previous year.
The AWFS has helped contractors to react to increasing winds before they become a hazard. The Calgary CA and the City of Calgary have hosted education sessions for construction owners and developed a mobile app which can be used as part of the system to send quick updates.
The Calgary Construction Association and the City of Calgary have seen a lot of positives from the system. It is a success story of government and industry working together to keep the public safe.
http://www.calgary.ca/PDA/pd/Pages/Inspections/AWFS-phase-one.aspx