An Ocean Bee LLC worker secures a mast that was detached from a tower crane at the unfinished hotel-casino building of Imperial Pacific International in Garapan on Friday.
An Ocean Bee LLC worker, left, operates a forklift to move a mast detached from an IPI tower crane while another worker is seen on top of the mast.
THE tower cranes at the unfinished Imperial Pacific International casino-hotel building were disassembled and brought down over the weekend.
With 20 people doing the work, Ocean Bee LLC, which was contracted by IPI for $150,000, dismantled tower cranes Nos. 2, 5 and 6. In October, these were declared by the Department of Public Works as posing an “actual and immediate danger” to the public.
On Friday, the Ocean Bee workers deconstructed the remaining mast of the 220-foot tower No. 5.
Mikee Guirey, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration-certified safety officer, said since work began on Dec. 1, 2023, no accidents or any untoward incidents had occurred, except for falling rusty bolts, which was “unavoidable.”
He said they had to trouble-shoot the equipment before the workers started the removal of the cranes. The motors of the riggers were “totally dead” so they had to make them operational by fixing the electrical and mechanical fixtures of the cranes.
Afterward, he said they had to use acetylene and oxygen to cut each of the masts, one by one, because it was “impossible” to remove the bolts due to rust.
Lito Parulan, Ocean Bee spokesman, said they also had to clear the area and transport the masts and other parts of the cranes to the IPI warehouse in Lower Base.
Ocean Bee manager He Guo Qiang said their goal is to complete the job on Dec. 30. He said by that date, the area surrounding the construction site should be cleared of debris, and “that’s when we can say, ‘Mission accomplished.’ ”
