President
Bush late yesterday signed into law legislation giving the
Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) authorities to investigate major building
failures in the United States. The authorities assigned
to NIST under the National
Construction Safety Team Act are modeled after those
of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for investigating
transportation accidents.
The
act gives authority to NIST to dispatch teams of experts
within 48 hours, where appropriate and practical, after
major building disasters. The law gives the teams a clear
mandate to:
The
stated purpose of the act is "... to provide for the
establishment of investigative teams to assess building
performance and emergency response and evacuation procedures
in the wake of any building failure that has resulted in
substantial loss of life or that posed the potential for
substantial loss of life." Investigations are conducted
under its authorities "... to improve the safety and
structural integrity of buildings in the United States."
In
this context, the act gives NIST and the teams comprehensive
investigative authorities to:
A standing
advisory committee will be created to advise the NIST Director
on all aspects of investigations. Members of the committee
will be recognized for distinguished professional service,
possess broad technical expertise and experience, and have
a reputation for independence, objectivity and impartiality.
Where
appropriate, NIST will consult with other federal agencies
in carrying out the act.
The new law specifically applies to the NIST World Trade
Center (WTC) building and fire safety investigation that
was formally initiated on Aug. 21, 2002 (go to http://wtc.nist.gov
for more information). The study of WTC Buildings 1 and
2 and WTC Building 7 is focusing on the building construction,
the materials used and all of the technical conditions that
contributed to the outcome of the WTC disaster.
NIST
has extensive experience and expertise in conducting disaster
investigations following structural/construction failures,
fires and natural disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes
and tornadoes. A fact sheet detailing this background and
listing past NIST investigations is available online at
http://wtc.nist.gov.
As
a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's
Technology Administration, NIST develops and promotes measurements,
standards and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate
trade and improve the quality of life.
-
30 -