Soccer Stadium at Willets Point
Forest Electric has a new job at the soccer stadium at Willets Point. The stadium is right next to Citi Field, home to the New York Mets. The soccer stadium will be the new home for the New York City Football Club. New York City FC will privately finance and build New York City’s first professional soccer-specific stadium, projected to open for the 2027 MLS season.
The Willets Point transformation includes 2,500 affordable homes, a 250-key hotel built by Queens Development Group, 1,500 permanent jobs, 14,200 construction jobs, and a 650-student public school. Forest Electric was awarded all the fire alarm work associated with the stadium. Right now, there are a lot of steel structures in place, which we work on to install the fire alarms.
There are still cranes in some areas. The cranes are putting steel structure members in some areas, which presents very serious hazards. Sidewalk sheds have been installed to protect workers from falling objects overhead.
One thing that poses the greatest threat to crane safety is improper load rating. The operator must ensure the load does not exceed the crane’s rated capacity. Excessive speeds are another example of a hazardous environment. It’s important to maintain a safe speed of operation. The proper use of hand signals is something all cranes must adhere to. If proper hand signals aren’t used, the crane may miss reading a signal or a signaler may send the wrong signal, creating a hazardous environment.
Contributed by John Lambertson, Forest Electric Safety Manager, CSP, DOB SSM