Jump to content
Show header slider

ELECTRIC SIGN SUPPLIES
If You're Looking For Premium Electric Sign Industry Components From Trim Cap, LED's, Neon Supplies, Power Supplies, Pattern Paper.  Then Please Visit Our Online Store or Feel Free To Call Us For Inquiries or Placing an Order!!
Buy Now

SIGN INSTALLER MAP
Looking for a fellow Sign Syndicate Company Member For A Sign Install or Maintenance Call?
Click Here

For Sign Company's Who Work As Subcontractors
Before You Work For A National Sign & Service Company You Need To Look At The Reviews Of These Companies Before You Work For Them. Learn When To Expect Payment From Them and What It's Like To Work For Them, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Learn and Share Your Experiences Yourself For Others
Click Here

4 from North Haven co. busted for Milford mall sign collapse

Erik Sine

By Erik Sine
in News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Erik Sine Master Engineer

Erik Sine

Posted
Posted

*

4 from North Haven co. busted for Milford mall sign collapse

Published: Friday, July 23, 2010 - New Haven Register

HARTFORD — A state investigation of a sign collapse at the Westfield Connecticut Post mall in Milford has led to the arrest of four people working for Sign Lite Inc. of North Haven.

The allegations are that unlicensed electrical sign work was performed or directed at the mall in July 2009, according to the investigation by the Department of Consumer Protection’s occupational enforcement unit .

Sign Lite installed a 220-pound sign for the clothing store PCX about a week before the sign fell July 13, 2009, taking with it about 200 feet of facade made of sheet metal-backed drywall, according to the police report. The facade was above store entrances inside the upper level of the mall. A person's arm and shoulder were injured from being hit by falling debris, the state said.

Kenneth Detulio, Richard Heller, Paul Snedeker and Shaun McCormick of Sign Lite Inc. a company at 6 Corporate Drive, North Haven, are to appear in Superior Court in Milford on Aug. 3 on charges of performing or directing unlicensed occupational trade work.

Detulio, the company vice president on Friday, however, disputed the claim that the sign caused what occurred and maintained that it was the wall that fell, bringing the sign with it.

"The wall was the reason the whole thing collapsed," Detulio maintained.

Detulio also said that he had not been aware of the requirement for the type of license the state now demands but company workers have since obtained it.

Last month, Milford police referred further investigation to the Department of Consumer Protection after finding, in consultation with a state prosecutor, that, “There was no criminal liability on Sign Lite Inc., except for state licensing requirements and the building permit violation.”

“Occupational licensing laws ensure competency in the construction of industrial, commercial and residential buildings,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said. “As demonstrated in this accident, unlicensed contractors put public health and safety in jeopardy,”

The state licensing process ensures that applicants have the necessary education and training for competency within the associated trade, the department said. In this case the work required a limited electrical sign contractor’s license.

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Erik Sine Master Engineer

Erik Sine

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It's unfortunate this company got caught with it's pants down, but have you ever seen how these shopping center walls are built? Those cheesy alum studs and poorly secure methods, they can't hardly hold anything with real weight. Very unfortunate.

You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • !llumenati
imanut Master Engineer

imanut

Posted
  • !llumenati
Posted

It's unfortunate this company got caught with it's pants down, but have you ever seen how these shopping center walls are built? Those cheesy alum studs and poorly secure methods, they can't hardly hold anything with real weight. Very unfortunate.

I understand - but can't tell the wall construction when its sealed up - why I'd love to see how many pics of how much wall came down. If there was no issues except the electrical - someone, like the builder, is going to be hauled in for the wall falling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Phunkybones Journeyman

Phunkybones

Posted
Posted

I had a similar experience happen to me a few years ago at a outside mall in Ocala FL. We were installing a set of CL's and a under canopy sign when the stucco ceiling came falling down around us! It didnt even start where we were working but to the left of us......the ceiling peeled away like a banana, turned the corner and keep going for about 200 ft. All the undercanopy signs went through the storefronts of about 6 stores. After it fell I took photos of the 1/2" STAPLES holding the mesh on the joists......1/2" STAPLES!!!!!! The contractor was held accountable for all damages and no one was injuried thank goodness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PhillipM Journeyman

PhillipM

Posted
Posted

Man, I'd love to see a picture of the sign. And just how much of the "wall" fell with it.

I think it is the sign in the picture, assuming that is says "PCX".

20090713_milford_mall_1_0713091152a_20090713121648_640_480.JPG

Photo link

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • !llumenati
imanut Master Engineer

imanut

Posted
  • !llumenati
Posted

Man, I'd love to see a picture of the sign. And just how much of the "wall" fell with it.

I think it is the sign in the picture, assuming that is says "PCX".

20090713_milford_mall_1_0713091152a_20090713121648_640_480.JPG

Photo link

Thanks for the picture and video. I'm not sure they can blame the guy for the wall falling down - wasn't that big of a sign. But I truly believe the GC is going to have to explain some things.

gn

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PhillipM Journeyman

PhillipM

Posted
Posted

Hard to tell, but is that a parapetwall?

I think you are right. To me it looks to be a facade, or parapet wall, built from sheetmetal studs and drywall a few feet from the actual wall of the building. I can't tell what was bracing the top of the facade to the main wall or canopy. Typically I see some metal studs going down at an angle to the studs on the canopy at the bare minimum. It's hard to say from my chair but surely when they hung the sign they would have been able to tell if the wall was structurally sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Phunkybones Journeyman

Phunkybones

Posted
Posted

I would think the wall would need to bracing in the back to support the weight of the sign but I don't see any?????? Where are the other stores signs? Wierd place to mount a sign anyway. Wonder if any engineering was done.......yeah I know, stupid question!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Erik Sine
      The Great White Hope IV

      By Erik Sine · Posted

      Thanks Gary, hope all is well...sorry I caught this late 😁
    • imanut
      The Great White Hope IV

      By imanut · Posted

      And have a great 52nd birthday bash tomorrow, Eric!
    • HansonSigns
      Sign Sales Rep needed!

      By HansonSigns · Posted

      Sign Sales Hanson Sign Company, located on the beautiful Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State, has been in business since 1964.  We are known for the great care we take with clients and employees alike.  All our employees are long term and committed to fabricating and installing the best signs we can produce.  We take pride in our work! The Sign Sales representative will be responsible for A) Communicating with the customer to find their needs/wants and budget B) Communicating with our permit staff to find out what signage the customer is allowed to have per code for the particular location C) Communicating with our designer to get sketches of the sign to the customer. Also, Sales Representative will be responsible for pricing out each job to present the customer with a proposal and sign sketch. Sales Rep will maintain contact with customer to build trust and a long term relationship.  A large percentage of our customers are repeat customers or referrals from existing customers.  Requirements:  At least 3 years of sign-related employment.  Job type:  Full time, some overtime.  Hours are 7:30am to 4:00pm Monday – Friday.  Salary:  $30 -  per hour, negotiable depending on experience.  Benefits:  100% paid medical, dental, vision plan.  Matching 401K, paid vacation and holidays.  Drug testing and employment physical may be required.  Please visit our website at www.hansonsigns.com and send your resume to info@hansonsigns.com.
    • HansonSigns
      Sign Journeyman on Kitsap Peninsula

      By HansonSigns · Posted

      Looking for a Journeyman! 
    • Erik Sine
      The Great White Hope IV

      By Erik Sine · Posted

      It's been a minute since I've been active on the Sign Syndicate I must admit.   Real Life activities along with how busy I have been with developing our Brighton LED Line have taken me away from keeping this site active.  I wasn't expecting the Brighton LED line to really take off as it has.  It's required a lot of attention and I'm purposely trying to keep product circle on who sells it small.  Quality is where my focus lays and not Quantity.  I have no desire to be the next Principal LED where I get to a point where I'm just selling off a name and let the product quality drop.   Since the Principal LED gobble up of the Sloan, Hanley the whole quality in the market place has turned to absolute Dog Shit.....and that is what Shops have been buying...Dog Shit...and they don't even know it   Over the last few years it's been a race to the bottom.   Wensco, Spandex, Montroy is raging over Principal LED dropping them as a supplier so their rage is focused on their United LED by G2G to complete against Principal / Sloan.    Then we have Everylite Raging over G2G which is nothing more than old G2G Employee/Partners splitting off to do their own thing as Everylite bitter at their previous place of buisiness or employment.  So Battle Lines are all over the market place and they're all competing for one thing...who can sell the Cheapest Module.   We've discussed a lot of this in ad nauseam      Chip quality in LED Modules has gone down and price has gone up with the big monopoly along with having fewer choices at the Sign Supplier...All a mixed bag in conjunction in who can sell quantity over quality.     This will all get very interesting, real fast         So.....I have a need fever, and the only prescription is...... more Benchmark Testing.         The Great White Hope IV   Just like the predecessors of the GWH III to the original we started back in 2009 we will test the Original Light output of various Vendor LEDs with similar spacing, monitor the Lumen Maintenance (Light Degradation over time) in measuring the Luminance in Foot Candles...or the light output on a sign face....as that is all we care about in the Electric Sign Industry     Project Great White Hope      We will also display one of the most important qualities when it comes to LED Chip quality that must be given attention too, that many either not know of, or really is never talked about because it cuts through all the Marketing Bullshit and that is the Foot Candles per Watt....this is the Chip Efficiency of an LED and this number will reflect how much light output you are getting for power put it.  The higher the FC/W, the better quality chip that LED has in it.  You can't get High Light Output from poor quality chips, only high quality chip have a higher efficiency to give you more light for lesser power.   For obvious reasons I will not be benchmarking every product out there on the market, just the most visible in the Market Place.     Project Tight Whitey     For example I will not be testing Principal LED's Synergy Mini or any in the family.    A .46w LED module with poor lumen per watt is not worth investing our time to test especially at nearly $400 per bag in cost.  To me it's a joke of a product, something with such low output that will last you a long time because it operates/drives too low but you will literally need two to two and a half of these modules that one single LED module will do.  So having four .46w modules next to four Qwik Mod II modules would look ridiculous next to one another in a benchmark comparison.    Also, a lot of Modules are being phased out....   Our current line up will be the following   United LEDs (G2G).8w for Channel Letters   United LEDs (G2G) 1.2w for Large Channel Letters & Cabinets Principal Hanley's The One 1w LED Principal Qwik Mod II .8w Principal Qwik Mod II .8w Red Principal Sloans Prism .96w LED G2G Wow .8w Module Everylite Rebel 1w Module Everylite 2D .72w Module   BrightON II .8w LED Module BrightON II .8w LED Module Ruby Red BrightON III 1.2w LED Module BrightON IV 1.6w LED Module BrightON SunFire 2.4w LED Module BrightON Lightning .68w LED Module BrightON Lightning .72w LED Module Ruby Red   A few more surprise Vendor Modules as we go along.   There is no better way to show the Electric Sign Industry and where we sit with the components we use in the signs we produce than creating a benchmark comparison   I should have this up and running in the next day or two, I will create a new topic and post here publicly for all to see and monitor over the next few years.   Like the previous Benchmarks, all LED Modules will be equally spaced for 2LED Modules, 3LED Modules, and 4LED Module.    All LED Modules will be in 5" Depth Channels that are 24" x 4.25".  Sign Faces will be 1/8" 7328 White by Plexiglas grade C and all will operate by a shared France Lighting Solutions TruPower LED PSU.    The only fault this benchmark comparison will have is that the budget Constant Voltage LEDs like the Qwik Mod II will be handy capped in Light Output because there will not be any remote slight voltage drop coming from a TruPower LED PSU that will affect the light output drop that would occur in real life setting should a LED PSU be loaded at 80 - 85%.  Constant Current LED Modules light output is not affected by slight voltage drops and remain consistent in lighting.   So, if we have one fault it lays here, but just know...all Constant Voltage LED modules would normally be a little dimmer in light for two reasons, TruPower LED Power Supply and for the fact that our PSU's will not be reaching anywhere near loadable capacity, and if we were to add modules down the road after initial start, it would affect these CC LED Modules Light Output in robbing voltage.       Great White Hope Monthly Benchmark Evaluation        The Reason I'm rebooting this much needed Benchmark Comparison for the Electric Sign Industry is for a couple of reasons.  Our Trade Needs this because too many Custom Sign Shops only knowledge base it dependent on what Sign Suppliers tell them...which is way too reliant on a poor source based on the importance on sales and who they sell now and not yesterday.  I also notice with Social Media which is another poor source of reliable knowledge, has been very incorrect and very biased based on who they sell and who their relationships are built around.  This simple Benchmark will shed light where there has a lot of poor light on the subject matter   This time with our own developed LED line will be in the mix, and of course it will be seeing as biased....in a sense it will come off that way....  But I always have encouraged custom sign shops to develop their own comparisons and really, REALLY see for themselves....as Seeing is BELIEVING        More to come......
×
×
  • Create New...