DR Safety owner accuses IPI of resuming construction without safety inspectors

A former safety consultant of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC said yesterday that IPI resumed construction work at its casino/hotel project in Garapan since Monday with a new consultant that has no special inspectors.

IPI chief executive officer Donald Browne said yesterday that they asked all employees to refrain from working until back wages have been paid. “I’ll check on their compliance,” Browne said.

He earlier stated that the owner of IPI’s safety consultant, DR Safety, whom he named as “Dave,” is just upset and that negotiation with that company will work out eventually, and that if Dave has a disagreement with IPI or other persons, he should seek legal assistance.

The owner of DR Safety Consultant LLC, who asked that his identity be withheld at this time, pointed out yesterday that, according to the Department of Public Works, if DR Safety cancels its contract with IPI, then DPW is going to re-issue its stop-work order against IPI.

The DR Safety owner said he has talked with Gani Salazar, a representative/inspector of the DPW Building Safety Code Division, who told him that he wrote IPI to get information about special inspectors and the engineer of record of the new company that it had hired vice DR Safety, and that DPW is giving IPI and the new company 10 days to provide documents.

The DR Safety owner said this should not happen because Salazar earlier stated that if DR Safety pulls out because of non-payment of services, DPW will re-issue a stop order.

“Now they are working 10 days against the regulation,” he said.

He said it’s unsafe for the workers at the site due to lack of safety special inspectors and engineer of record.

He previously stated that IPI forced DR Safety to open the site on the promise of payment, but there has been no such payment until now.

The DR Safety owner said they have done so much work in the past three years for IPI with no Occupational Safety and Health Administration and DPW violations.

Last Nov. 25, DPW lifted its stop- work order against IPI.

Salazar told the Commonwealth Casino Commission last Nov. 25 that it has allowed IPI to resume construction work at the Imperial Pacific Resort building after IPI complied with DPW’s Building Safety Code Division’s requirements.

IPI received the stop-work order from DPW last Oct. 27.

In the stop-work order, DPW suspended all construction work until shop drawings and revised plans are submitted to and approved by DPW’s building safety officer. DPW also suspended all welding work.