New York – A crane collapsed onto a Lower Manhattan street early Friday morning, causing damage to the surrounding buildings, crushing cars, seriously injuring two people and killing one. According to reports, the crew had begun securing the crane and directing pedestrians away from the crane’s base in response to wind speeds when the crane came crashing down. The force of the crash caused gas and water leaks in the area. Since the incident, officials have been closely monitoring the leaks and they have turned off the gas in the immediate vicinity. The fallen crane spans two city blocks.
During the weeks leading to the accident, the crane had been replacing generators and air-conditioning units on top of buildings. The crawler crane was last inspected by New York’s Buildings Department the morning before the incident in order to approve an extension to its present length. Wind speeds were reaching a maximum of 20 miles per hour, but the city only requires extra security when gusts reach 25 miles per hour.
“This is a very, very sad incident – we’ve lost a life… It was something of a miracle there wasn’t more impact.” – Mayor Bill de Blasio
Mayor de Blasio has called for several new city regulations to improve safety measures regarding crane security. These new measures target lowering the wind speed threshold for securing cranes, and increasing pedestrian protection in areas near the crane. While the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation, it is critical to remember the importance of crane safety. For more information on OSHA standards, regulations and guidelines you can visit their website. As always, feel free to contact The Integrated Group to talk directly to experts in risk management on the essentials of crane safety, or to schedule training in crane operation. You can reach The Integrated Group at 425-822-8500 or info@theintegratedgroup.com.
You can watch a video of the collapse here.
[…] Effective and thorough crane safety training is essential prior to working with or around cranes. From falls to the devastating collapse of the crane, there are several risks involved with the general operation of a crane that need to be addressed. In 2008, New York City had two crane collapses resulting in three deaths and causing millions in property damage. In February of this year, also in New York City, an operator was lowering the boom of the crawler crane during high winds when the crane collapsed, killing one and injuring three. You can read The Integrated Group’s report on the February collapse here. […]