Protection for pedestrians shall be provided as follows:
(A) Before any demolition work is commenced, every sidewalk or public thoroughfare adjacent to the work site shall either be closed or protected as specified in this section. All thoroughfares which are open to the public shall be kept clear and unobstructed at all times;
(B) If the structure to be demolished is more than two stories or 25-feet high, measured from sidewalk or street level, and the horizontal distance from the inside of the sidewalk to the structure is 15 feet or less, a substantial sidewalk shed shall be constructed over the entire length of the sidewalk adjacent to the structure, of sufficient width to accommodate pedestrian traffic without causing congestion. The sidewalk shed shall be lighted either by natural or artificial means sufficient to ensure safety at all times;
(C) Every sidewalk shed shall be capable of safely sustaining a load of 150 pounds per square foot. If material is to be stored thereon, it shall be capable of sustaining a load of at least 300 per square foot;
(D) The outside edge and ends of the deck of the shed shall be provided with a substantial enclosure of at least 42 inches above the deck of the shed. The enclosures may be vertical or inclined outward at approximately 45 degrees and shall consist of boards laid close together secured to braced uprights, or toeboards and galvanized wire netting formed of not less than No. 16 U.S. gauge wire and one and one-half inch mesh;
(E) Sidewalk shed openings for loading purposes shall be kept closed at all times except during actual loading operations;
(F) The roof deck flooring of a sidewalk shed shall consist of planking not less than two inches in thickness (nominal size), closely laid. All members of the shed shall be adequately braced and connected to resist displacement of members or distortion of the framework;
(G) Unless the top deck of the sidewalk is built solidly against the face of the structure to be demolished, the vertical face of the shed supports next to the building shall be solidly fenced throughout. This shall not prohibit the construction and use of solid sliding or swinging gates as may be necessary for the prosecution of the work;
(H) When the horizontal distance from the inside of the sidewalk to the structure is more than 15 feet and less than 25 feet, a sidewalk shed may be constructed over the sidewalk as described above or, in place of a shed, a substantial fence shall be constructed along the inside edge of the sidewalk or, if permission has been granted to close the sidewalks, along the inside edge of the roadway;
(I) Every fence shall be constructed at least six feet high of wood or other suitable material and shall be built solid for its entire height and length, except that openings necessary for the proper execution of the work may be provided with solid sliding or swinging gates;
(J) When the horizontal distance from the inside of the sidewalk to the structure is more than 25 feet, a shed or fence as described in this section may be built or, in place of a shed or fence, a substantial railing shall be constructed on the inside of the sidewalk or roadway along the entire length of the demolition site and provided with movable bars as may be necessary for the proper execution of the work; and
(K) Where workers’ entrances to buildings being demolished are not completely protected by sidewalk sheds, all entrances shall be protected by canopies extending from the face of the building to a point not less than eight feet from it. In each case, the overhead protection shall be at least two feet wider than the building entrance or opening, and all canopy roof deck flooring shall be at least as strong as the sidewalk shed specified in this section.
(1999 Code, § 123.05) Penalty, see § 10.99