03/06/08 - "It is becoming more of an issue, with less and less land, and construction continuing," Fire Inspector John Fronio said.

Blast Indeed

Class addresses construction blasting safety

By Martin B. Cassidy
Greenwich Time - Staff Writer

Town fire marshals yesterday took readings with a seismograph to check the magnitude of ground vibrations after blasting at a Perkins Road construction site.

The demonstration was part of a class hosted by the Fire Marshal's Office emphasizing the need for builders to measure the impact of their blasting operations and properly use explosives to prevent damage to homes nearby, Fire Inspector John Fronio said......

... "With all the blasting going on in town we want everybody to be on the same page about what is expected," Fronio said. "Blasting is part of all the construction in town but we are trying to protect the residents of Greenwich."...

.... Fronio said the department also plans to use its own seismograph to conduct spot checks of construction sites in town that have generated complaints.

"We are stricter than many other towns and we have the power to shut down a site if we consider it unsafe," Fronio said. "We want to reassure homeowners we are out there making sure things are done correctly."

Usually residents who fear that blasting will damage their home are mistaken and can be convinced that the explosives are being used safely if they are shown enough information, said Thomas A. Germolino, president of Vet's Explosives Inc. of Torrington, said after the meeting.

Germolino said he uses an outside firm to monitor his blasting, which helps protect him from liability if a homeowners sues him.

"I think there was a lot of excellent information and the blasting contractors have been put on notice about what is expected," Germolino said.