Red Sox, City Balk at Inspection Doubts; Say Fenway Park Safe

City and Red Sox officials say Fenway Park is safe despite what appear to be just cursory annual safety inspections of the 96-year-old stadium.

According to a report in The Boston Globe, the safety inspection record on file at city Inspectional Services from 2002 to 2007 is only a single page for Fenway and TD Banknorth Garden.

Boxes on the report indicate compliance with 10 different standards, including whether fire exits are accessible, and if emergency lighting and sprinkler systems work. But in 2002, 2003, and 2004, not a single box was checked for Fenway.

Records also show that it takes just about six hours to inspect the 10-acre park.

Inspectional Services officials say the inspections are thorough.

Red Sox officials say city inspections are comprehensive and that Fenway is monitored by engineers hired by the team.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe