‘Unstable tower crane frame left unattended’

A former safety consultant of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC claims that a tower crane frame at the Imperial Pacific Resort project in Garapan was seen over the weekend dangling and turning in the air and poses a safety hazard.

David Rillera Jr., president of DR Safety Consultant LLC, said the crane frame was left unattended for four days and was only removed Sunday.

Rillera, who showed Saipan Tribune a video he took of the crane frame last Saturday, said it’s a public safety concern. He pointed out that Occupational Safety and Health Administration policies and rules state that it’s a violation to leave something like that up in the air without any operator.

“No materials shall be left unattended while load is being rigged,” he said.

As of press time yesterday, IPI had yet to comment on the issue.

IPI chief executive officer Donald Browne earlier stated that Rillera is just upset and should seek legal assistance if he has a disagreement with IPI or other persons.

In an interview with Rillera over the weekend, he questioned why the Department of Public Works or the Commonwealth Casino Commission did not do anything about the unattended crane frame.

Following the CCC’s repeated demands for safety issues, IPI hired a company to remove one of four cranes at the construction site as it was broken.

At the CCC meeting last week, Rillera told the commissioners during the public comments portion that his company was still the safety management company when IPI breached their contract by hiring his employees to work for another company, so in that way IPI did not need to pay his company in resuming work.

He said he terminated his contract with IPI for the safety inspection and engineer of record services after the company failed to pay for its services, which begs the question: Who is now doing the SI and EOR services for IPI?

He said IPI does not have anyone from their construction team making calls for decisions other than a certain Mr. Su. He did not give Su’s full name.

Browne previously stated that Mr. Su is an adviser to the IPI board and an investor in another project on Saipan.

Saipan Tribune learned that the person’s full name is Su Hongtao.

Rillera claims that Su runs AM Group, which has allegedly pirated his employees who are being paid in cash.

Rillera earlier stated that IPI resumed construction work at its casino/hotel project last Nov. 30 with a new consultant that has no special inspectors.

He said his company has done much work in the last three years for IPI with no OSHA and DPW violations.

Last Nov. 25, DPW lifted its stop-work order against IPI after IPI complied with DPW’s Building Safety Code Division’s requirement.

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