Slip-up — accidents force city council to relay floors at new Dundee House HQ
Dundee City Council has been forced to relay all the floors in corridors at its new city centre headquarters after a catalogue of slips and falls on the slippery surface.
Dundee City Council's new Dundee House headquarters.
- By Alan Wilson
- Published in the Courier : 17.02.12
- Published online : 17.02.12 @ 10.55am
It is understood a ''significant'' number of staff have been involved in incidents, with at least one employee having to be taken to hospital with a serious leg injury.
The council has confirmed work is under way to relay the floors, citing ''minor snagging issues''. Half of the building's corridors are under repair at the moment.
A council source said: ''They're doing every alternate floor so they can keep the building open but a lot of corridors and emergency exits are closed off to the workforce just now.
''Everybody's been slipping on that surface and I would guess dozens of people have reported it as a safety hazard.''
Another source said the problems being experienced have been caused by contractors using the wrong materials.
''From what I can gather the wrong screeding was used after the floor was laid out of line. It was meant to be non-slip material but they used the wrong stuff — it was meant to be slip resistant.
''There was an error in the floor levels and the screeding wasn't done according to the proper standards, I believe.''
The source said staff had also alerted management about leaks coming from the rear balcony and staff having to use towels to plug the gaps when it rains.
Just last week the council confirmed it was having to install blinds throughout the building after workers complained of incessant glare affecting their work.
The source added: ''I've been at meetings where people sat with their hands over their eyes the whole time because of the glare. It was obviously a big problem.
''People have been getting huge sheets of paper from the architects department to cover the windows.''
Workers also cobbled together other makeshift window coverings — from coatstands, open umbrellas and even newspapers stuck to window panes in order to see their computer screens and get on with their work without straining their eyes.
The council confirmed last week that ''appropriate'' blinds are on order at the the £34 million civic headquarters in North Lindsay Street which opened in August last year.
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: ''In Dundee House, as with all major construction projects, minor snagging issues can emerge once staff move into a building and it is used on a day-to-day basis.
''Any such works would be subject to health and safety assessment including safe access and egress.''
11.18am - 17.02.2012 Cory Douglas Campbell - Maryfield, Scotland Report This
Nice Photo but why has DCC plastered sheets of paper,maps,memos ect all over the windows? I doubt the windows were used as noticed boards on the scale model when the building was approved Visitors must think Dundee House is being used like a trailer on a building site. What an unsightly mess to see!
02.05pm - 17.02.2012 Scotinmk - Milton Keynes, Bucks Report This
Cory, did you read the article? The staff did it so they can see their PC screens! The DCC did not think they might need blinds to stop the glare of sunlight! With that and the new flooring what a fiasco!
03.35pm - 17.02.2012 JOHN KLEPPANG - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Once again the architects or other agents have simply done the the job without due diligence on all aspects It is a scandal and they must be held to account But i doubt it.
04.29pm - 17.02.2012 Cory Douglas Campbell - Maryfield, Scotland Report This
@Scot, it's not the staff who paid for this building, it was the taxpayer & as DCC & it's SNP administration are in charge of this building, WHY have they allowed this fiasco to happen for so long? The windows have been covered with sheets of paper for months as no one has heard of office dividers
04.52pm - 17.02.2012 John Jones - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Surprised? Really? It's hardly news that a less thoughtful approach to major spending commitments is common, and expensive retrospective changes can always be funded, when your income derives from a legal right to extract from the population whatever cash you want on pain of imprisonment
07.04pm - 17.02.2012 LM - Dundee, Scotland Report This
@John Jones-well said!
09.06am - 18.02.2012 Mystified - Dundee, Angus Report This
It is great that in this economic climate, where there are major cutbacks in vital services due to the freeze in council tax AGAIN. Money can be found for mistakes made by architects and planners . Good old Dundee Council tradition.
11.07am - 18.02.2012 PC49 - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Windows covered with news papers poor flooring are all going to cost money to repair but should the big question not be how many are still working at 9:30pm on a Friday night and if no one is, why could the last one out not switch off the lights they seem to be on all the time night and day
12.27pm - 18.02.2012 Stan Hamil - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Who was responsible for monitoring the activities of the contractors and ensuring that the correct materials were being used? Somebody on the council payroll must have been involved at some level or other. What action is being taken against them for their negligence? Will we ever find out?
10.59pm - 18.02.2012 R Clarke - Chelmsford, England Report This
Who runs Dundee city Council? Is is still that benighted Party, called Che Labour Party of Scotland. The Party of near idiocy and fiscal incompetence & ruination I lived in Dundee during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was the same back then when 'GG' was on the Council.
Add a comment