RADNOR – A contractor doing work at Radnor High School received approval this week to begin work at 3 a.m.
Depending on the weather, they expect to finish the work sometime around noon or a little later each day.
The work involves the replacement of the roof at Radnor High School.
Kyle Fails, construction manager with Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc., said they’ve received the approval for the work and are ready to start. But they’d like to get a variance to begin in the early morning hours.
“So we are proposing to start the daily construction at 3 a.m.,” Fails told the Radnor Board of Commissioners at its Monday night meeting. “We have the summer until the kids get back in mid-August – Aug. 26th when the teachers return, and we would like to get the majority of our more intrusive work with tearing off the roof and getting back everything before it gets occupied for safety reasons.”
About 16 to 20 people would be working on the roof.
Noise from the work and lights would be some of the concerns for township officials. The closest residential neighbors are about 1,000 feet away, they said.
Most of the nose would come from forklifts. They said they could disconnect the backup beeper until about 7 or 8 a.m.
Since the township was voting on the variance request, Commissioner Jake Abel raised concerns over disconnecting the backup beeper. Other commissioners then expressed the same concerns with safety and possible OSHA regulations.
In the end, the commissioners decided to address any noise issues with the school district first.
According to Fails, there are a few reasons for the request.
“The rationale behind this request is multi-faceted and rooted in ensuring the success and safety of the project, as well as minimizing disruption to the school’s operations,” Fails wrote in a letter to the board seeking permission to start earlier.
The contractor also wants to get ahead of the anticipated heat this summer.
“Additionally, beginning work early in the morning will allow us to undertake intensive tasks before the temperature rises significantly,” Fails wrote to the board. “This proactive approach is essential for safeguarding the health and well-being of our construction crew, minimizing the risk of heat-related illnesses, and ensuring a safe working environment throughout the duration of the project.”
The commissioners unanimously approved the request.
