Boy tripped into shaft over low wall

A. Attard

Nov 20th 2009, 10:26

R.Axisa

Enforcement is no solution. Action is. Doing what is needed to be done. Not just words and grumbling and passing the buck onto everyone and nobody. Someone in goverment definitely has the reigns and can make the move for the right action to be taken. Now who is ready to take some positive action? Lets wait and see.

R Axisa

Nov 20th 2009, 07:06

Those horizontal railings should be removed by enforcement. Being stopped by mepa and letting the existing ones remain is not enough. Accidents can still happen with the existing ones. So better be safe than sorry!

Rosaire Farrugia

Nov 19th 2009, 22:00

Hi, I'm a student from the school were Samuel used to go. He was one of my best friends. he was always joyful and I never seen him sad always smiling. We used to call each others name's I used to Call him "Shaggy" and he used to get very angry but then after a few minits it ok.
He was a great person with very good way of life. We will never forget you man. It is very hard for us to belive he is realy gone altough we went to his berial. On Monday morning the head of school told us all 5th formers where socked by this news, everyone cryed many teacher cryed as well.
WE KNOW YOU ARE DEAD BUT NOT DEAD IN OUR HEART'S AND KEEP YOUR HANDS ON US. Condolescenes to his family and to all who known him

A. Attard

Nov 19th 2009, 19:55

i believe mepa should revise its laws with respect to the safety issues concerning penthouses and other roof structures. an aluminium railing should at least be allowed in order to provide some form of safety barrier to whoever carries out maintenance works on such roofs. Even so, these roofs should not be easily accessible and the access to this area should be restricted in some way or another.

an adventure went wrong...may the authorities learn from this....thank goodness the stupidity with respect to the craze for horizontal railings, aka children climbing death bars, on "modern" concrete pigeon holes has been stopped by mepa wherein these are not being allowed any longer. one step in the right direction!

Victor Testa

Nov 19th 2009, 18:03

@trw oooo... The 'site' is not a site but a residence fully finished with 80% of apartments sold and habitated. Your house of characther has a different height limitation policy and an nhso policy different than apartments dear TRW with respect to local plans!! Comparability; Did you ever hear that word?? compare an HOC with a 7 storey building??? nahh. Fact is that yes, Mepa does not allow anybody to build more than 1 course at the roof of the penthouse structure. I agree that this is very dangerous practise. You can easily see this by seeing the courses in sliema of the aformentioned penthouses.

TRW O'Neill

Nov 19th 2009, 16:05

Victor Testa' hard to believe your statement, My House of Character ( 200 odd years old,) has 3 courses at the front , above roof level & 5 courses at the side. If correct , then Mepa, should be taken to court, for insisting on dangerous practices. Why for instance was the site not locked up to protect the public, until Building finished? Obviously to save costs.Where is health & safety , ever observed ? unless forcibly in Malta. QED

Nmc Mangion

Nov 19th 2009, 15:37

Mepa does not permit railings or walls on penthouse roof tops.
A stupid law by Mepa as always.
I have a penthouse and i have to be very carefull when i carry work on the roof cause if i trip over i go down 5 storeys thanks to the brave people at mepa.

Victor Testa

Nov 19th 2009, 15:31

Hello people!!!Nobody is allowed to built more than two courses (and if I am correct it is only one course) on the penthouse roof. No structures are allowed expect for the Lift and acessible stairs plus water tanks. (It-tromba)These are Mepa regulations and this does not confer to the builders fault or not.

Evelyn curmi

Nov 19th 2009, 13:06

What about the horizontal railings on balconies?? Too dangerous for toddlers and young children. They should be banned. I saw a three year old child climbing on them like a ladder!

E. Azzopardi

Nov 19th 2009, 11:55

Not the first time and unfortunately, knowing how this country works, it will not be the last.
A crane topples with regular preciseness every so often and human beings die on construction sites fortunately, very fortunately not so often.
Why do youngsters have to die this way? We never seem to learn.

Steve Borg

Nov 19th 2009, 02:42

The Chamber of Architects would do well in explaining the minimal limits of limestone block courses that are certified as safe to avoid incidents such as this very sad loss of life.

Patrick Sacco

Nov 18th 2009, 00:32

Samuel was an exemplary student. I used to teach him English when he was in Form 3.3. He was definitely one of the best students at our school - hard-working, well-read, intelligent and very respectful towards each and everyone. Rest in peace my friend. We at St. Benedict College, Kirkop will NEVER forget you!!

Condolences to all his family and friends.

John Falzon

Nov 17th 2009, 17:44

I am no architect, but I believe that railings are permitted on top of the two or three courses. Perhaps someone in the know can enlighten us on this ?

D Vella

Nov 17th 2009, 16:25

Shaft walls should be a minimum four courses high,as should penthouse outer walls,not as they are now,no more than two courses. Unfortunately we can expect more tragedies like this if the building rules are not amended.

Of course,condolences to the family. Very sad.

Adrian Saliba Vella

Nov 17th 2009, 14:49

My intentions were to send a blank message with the hope that the editor would show just that! My sole intention was to show that this death has left me without words, and simply 'blank'. Hearing and reading about this tragic death brings tears to my eyes, even though i dont know him or his family, Nevertheless, on second thought, now that I have put pen to paper, may this death, pre-mature as it may be, and un-justified for all the family, friends and relatives would not be in vain and that some good comes out of the Magisterial Inquiry, possibly with some strong recommendations with the hope that No one would get injured, or made to suffer the consequences. To the family ..... I am so sorry but i have no words! I shall remember you in my prayers and pray to GOD that I myself would not taste this bitterness of life! On a more positive note, GOD hand picks his flowers as was the case here!

Theresa Calleja

Nov 17th 2009, 13:41

A tragic loss!

Maybe having more open areas, playing fields and youth centres where youngsters may enjoy themselves would not compel them to seek hazardous areas... deepest sympathy to family & friends.

Anthony Roberts

Nov 17th 2009, 12:47

This is as a sad sad loss. We offer our condolences to his family and friends.

Ruben Baldacchino

Nov 17th 2009, 11:33

Samuel was an amazing person, great student and athlete. He will greatly missed by everyone. RIP Samuel and condolescenes to his family.

John Falzon

Nov 17th 2009, 11:25

Its easy to place blame on the owner but in the absence of the facts we can only surmise.

For instance the owner may have been prevented by regulations from raising the wall above 2 (or perhaps 3) courses, so as not to exceed local height restrictions.

However regulations would not have prevented him from putting a railing in place on those courses, although again he may have planned to do this but it might simply not have been done at the time of the accident, for whatever reason.

What is certain is that a young man has lost his life and being a father myself I can only imagine what the poor parents are feeling at the moment. God help them all in this hour of need.

Joseph Micallef

Nov 17th 2009, 10:52

A serous assessment of the laws governing the safety of buildings whilst being built and when finished is badly needed.

J Mallia

Nov 17th 2009, 10:23

" tripped over a wall that was just two courses high" ???? Who was the architect who signed the completion of the whole project ? Where were MEPA and safety inspectors who where suppose to see that the building was up to it's safety standard ? Offcourse, the owner would have paid more money to build an extra 2 courses !! Just 2 COURSES high, on a seven storey building !! Let's see if somebody would be held responsable for this, but in this country.......NOBODY IS.