Notre-Dame de Paris still runs a potential risk of collapse, the "pace of work" since April 16 is justified only by this "imperious urgency", said Wednesday the Ministry of Culture.
Worksite interrupted until Monday
The ministry stresses the need to resume work: "Today, the building is still subject to a peril of the Police Prefect, dated April 17, and new stone falls from the vaults of the nave have very recently occurred following the episode of heat wave ".
The gigantic construction site was halted on July 25 on the instructions of the labor inspectorate because of the risks of lead contamination. It must resume Monday, since the guarantee will be provided that "the device fully meets" its requirements, said last week the Prefecture of Ile-de-France. Decontamination work in the area began Tuesday, with completion expected in mid-September.
Workers' health, "a top priority"
"All the services of the State involved in the site have made the health of workers on this site a top priority, taking precedence over any other consideration", justified the ministry responding to the accusations of Médiapart and associations which accuses them of negligence especially on the risk of blood lead.
"The recommendations of the labor inspectorate have already been largely taken into account by the contracting authority and will be also throughout the duration of the operation of conservation and restoration," assured the ministry, in response to concerns persistently expressed by the associations.
Various measures have been taken, he assures, "to preserve the state of health of the workers" from 18 and 22 April by the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC). Provisions "which will be strengthened in the days and weeks to come with the establishment of a durable device and precisely sized in view of the number of speakers", he promised.
Regular samples
The Ministry of Culture recalls that, from April 26, a coordinator safety and health protection (CSPS) was responsible for drafting a plan involving all operators. Samples from surfaces and ambient air have been implemented regularly. "Lead project management assistance was commissioned for the specific lead risk management from May 16th", with the objectives of "guaranteeing the watertightness of the site", "informing and training the stakeholders", d "" organize the use of mobile decontamination units for work area exits "," manage site waste ", including" personal protective equipment ".
Regarding medical monitoring, the ministry says that "all operators are informed daily of the evolution of preventive measures". Compulsory training on the measures to be taken with regard to the lead risk is dispensed and "every new operator must follow the training imperatively".
At the end of the complex and long consolidation phase, the first restoration work "will not begin, at the earliest, before the first half of 2020", says the Ministry of Culture.