Safety programming had to account for a historic three-story building with aging infrastructure, multiple active trades and scopes spanning roof work, masonry, concrete cutting, excavation, paving, MEP replacement and adjacent demolition. The team developed a site-specific safety plan that all employees and subcontractors reviewed before beginning work, used alongside the company safety program, OSHA regulations and subcontractor EHS requirements. Major scopes were evaluated through task-specific hazard analyses, each paired with controls including lockout/tagout, fall protection, silica exposure controls, hot work permits, barricades and competent-person oversight. Thompson Turner also requested a voluntary South Carolina OSHA full-service safety consultation.

Photo by Benton Henry Photography LLC

In the auditorium, the team installed scaffolding, creating a stable platform for overhead lighting installation and window refinishing. The project finished with zero recordable incidents and zero lost-time accidents across 104,479 work hours.

Since the original window heights conflicted with the ceiling height needed for new mechanical systems, the team designed an interior perimeter soffit detail that allowed the lowered ceiling to stop before reaching the windows.

The city’s water pressure turned out to be too low to run the new fire sprinkler system, so a booster pump was installed. Field investigation found the sanitary line lacked the fall it needed to reach the road, a problem resolved with the addition of a pump station.