Steelworker for a Day

On the campus grounds of the school, there are some old dilapidated buildings that were damaged during a past hurricane and have become derelict. The long-term plan is to renovate them for classroom space or other school use. One Saturday morning, I volunteered to help with the removal of a twisted net off steel beams, rafters and posts that posed a major obstacle to future rehabilitation work.  I met a few other staff members and Stephen, a metal worker from a local shipyard. He brought his acetylene torch and gas bottles and within minutes was cutting pieces that we were able to lift and pile to the side.  The force of that long past hurricane was evident in how tortured some of the pieces were. As the pile of smaller pieces diminished, we focused our attention on the more dangerous overhead heavier pieces.  Before each cut was made, we used our amateur engineering skills and discussed at length the safest place to stand, which way the steel would fall when released and good escape routes.  Luckily, our ‘safety first’ approach worked and within 3 hours, the whole site was cleaned up.