Construction has resumed on the $1.5 billion South Station Tower project after a fire there earlier this month.
Work started up again last week after shutting down following an April 9 involving construction materials on the outside deck of the ninth floor of the construction project. Suffolk, the company overseeing the project, said the fire was caused by union iron workers who were welding tube steel and it was extinguished without incident.
In the wake of the fire, Suffolk voluntarily shut down the job site for a safety audit.
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"After the incident occurred at South Station, Suffolk proactively and voluntarily shut down the jobsite. We brought in all key subcontractors, union leaders and Suffolk’s senior leadership to conduct a thorough jobsite safety review with the entire team. We remained in regular contact with safety officials from the MBTA, OSHA, and the City of Boston throughout the audit until everyone was comfortable with our next steps," Suffolk said in a statement Friday. "After the audit was complete and all stakeholders were comfortable with our approach, construction work on South Station resumed on Wednesday, April 10th."
The fire occurred weeks after a steel beam from the construction project fell more than 20 stories. No one was injured, but the beam shattered a pair of windows in the tower and scattered debris on the roadway. But officials said if the beam had reached the ground, it would have likely hit commuters. The construction project arches over the South Station bus and train terminal.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the April 9 fire and the March 20 beam incident. Those investigations could take as long as six months.
