Dive Brief:
- A construction worker in Boston was killed Sunday while on board a crane that was being disassembled, according to The Boston Herald.
- Authorities have not yet released the identity of the worker and would only reveal that "it did not appear" he was killed as a result of a fall.
- A spokesman for the Boston Police Department said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was investigating the accident.
Dive Insight:
Crane safety has become a hot button issue in the wake of a series of incidents in and around New York City that date back to 2008. That year saw two crane collapses in as many months, one killing seven people, the other killing two and both causing injury and millions in property damage. In February of this year, an operator was lowering the boom of a crawler crane during windy conditions when the crane collapsed onto a Manhattan street, killing one person and injuring three others. That incident led New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to implement a four-point crane safety plan, which included operating restrictions on crawler cranes during windy conditions, a significant increase in operator fines, more protective measures intended to protect pedestrians who pass near crane activity and an improved building notification system targeting properties near crane operations. In addition to increased crane oversight, de Blasio announced that the city's construction safety violators would face a four-fold increase in monetary penalties as part of a "safety sweep" of approximately 1,500 job sites.
Despite de Blasio's efforts to create a safer work environment in the city, however, it wasn't long until the crane industry pushed back against certain newly instituted rules, in particular one that required cranes to be stored in sustained winds of 20 mph or more. Industry advocates said it was not uncommon for the wind to reach that speed and that the constant starting and stopping of crane operations in order to comply with the rule cost companies time and money. Additionally, crane industry representatives said the constant motion of raising and lowering booms created potential safety hazards.
The crane accidents also led to a city-commissioned study of crane equipment operating in New York City. The group conducting the study recommended that New York City implement a "phase-out" of older cranes so that companies would be forced to bring newer equipment – with modern safety controls – online. The group also suggested that cranes have anemometers, black boxes, GPS tracking and daily pre-operation inspections.
All of the new safety rules, however, did not stop another crane from collapsing on the $4 billion Tappan Zee Bridge project. The crane was one of a reported 28 in use on the bridge at the time but caused no major injury or property damage. In addition, last month OSHA fined contractor RCS Construction $71,000 for 29 alleged safety violations, including those involving crane operations.
