Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recently released a compliance guide to help small construction businesses adhere to an important new rule for the use and operation of cranes and derricks. The new standard, Cranes and Derricks in Construction, was introduced in August of 2010, and had not been updated since it was first issued in 1971. Since then, there have been a large number of deaths and injuries related to cranes and derricks and also significant technological improvements to the cranes, both of which the new standard aims to address. It is estimated that crane and derrick accidents are the cause of approximately 22 fatalities and 175 injuries per year.

The compliance guide that was released on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, aims to help smaller businesses understand the changes and adhere to the new standard in order to promote a safer work environment for the construction industry. Some of the updated requirements include inspections of crane parts before they are assembled and assessment of ground conditions. The guide also outlines the new requirements which include, but are not limited to:

• Crane operators will need to be officially qualified or certified as of November 10, 2014.
• Clearance distances from power lines and to protect workers against electrocution hazards.
• Use of synthetic slings when climbing tower cranes and other assembly activities, and use of approved riggers, to ensure the structural stability.
• The new standard includes equipment that was not covered or had very few requirements in the prior standard, such as floating cranes.

Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, said "Over the past four decades, we've continued to see a significant number of worker injuries and deaths from electrocution, crushed-by and struck-by hazards while performing cranes and derricks operations...This guide will help employers understand what they must do to protect their workers from these dangerous, sometimes fatal incidents." For the complete guide, visit OSHA’s Small Entity Compliance Guide for Final Rule Cranes and Derricks in Construction.

If you have been injured while working on a construction site or have a question about a case, feel free to contact one of our experienced attorneys for a free consultation.

Source:

OSHA issues guidance document to help small businesses comply with cranes and derricks rule, OSHA Trade News, March 8, 2011

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Here in Massachusetts, news about construction accidents has been relatively quiet. However, in Liege, Belgium, two women died earlier this week in a tragic crane accident. Three more workers were injured.

The construction accident occurred when a crane carrying materials to the second floor of a building collapsed.

The basket fell onto a lorry containing the three workers, according to the findings of the initial investigation. The two crane accident victims, the manager of a tiling company and her daughter, were in the basket of the crane when the accident occurred.

Source: Two women killed in Belgian crane accident, Expatica.com, September 14, 2010

Have you been injured in a crane accident? The Boston workplace accident lawyers at Altman & Altman can explain your legal options during a free initial case evaluation.

Following the April 20 explosion off the coast of Louisiana that killed several oil rig workers, families of the deceased and some of the workers who survived the accident have filed wrongful death or personal injury lawsuits against companies involved in the offshore drilling operation. An electronics technician who was seriously injured is seeking $6 million in damages. He filed a lawsuit in Louisiana federal court.

On Tuesday, three workers who escaped the explosion on lifeboats have filed a suit claiming they were kept floating at sea for hours as they watched the rig burn, knowing their friends were inside. That lawsuit was filed in county court in Galveston, Texas, and seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the three workers and the family of a worker who is missing and presumed dead.

Working on an oil rig is among the most dangerous jobs in the world, so this incident may lead to new legislation regarding safety standards for offshore drilling operations.

Source: Suit: Workers kept at sea hours after explosion, Associated Press, May 4, 2010

Lawsuit filed in Gulf oil rig blast, The Galveston County Daily News, May 5, 2010

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Last week, an industrial accident in Franklin, Connecticut trapped a worker inside the cab of a skid steer after a fork lift reportedly crashed into the skid steer. It took firefighters roughly 50 minutes using cutting tools and hydraulic lifts to free the unidentified man. State police say he was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries.

The fork lift accident was reported just after 7pm on Wednesday, March 24. It occurred at a construction site for a cell phone tower near the town's library and fire department.

A state crane inspector and a compliance officer from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the construction accident.

Site: One man injured in construction accident in Franklin, Norwich Bulletin, March 25, 2010

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On Monday, a crane accident in Philadelphia's Center City resulted in the death of the crane operator and injuries to at least three others. According to reports on the radio, the operator fell 125 feet when the crane toppled over at about 1:30pm, hitting a building containing a florist shop and apartments. The 40-year-old operator was declared dead soon after the construction accident.

Among those injured were a 70-year-old woman in a nearby car who was hit by either the crane or debris and was in stable condition at Hahnemann Hospital. Two others in the area were injured by falling debris.

Officials from the Department of Licenses and Inspection were investigating the scene of the fatal accident to determine whether residents could safely return to their apartments.

Report: Crane topples in Center City Philadelphia, killing operator, Philadelphia Business Journal, October 12, 2009

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On Friday afternoon, a construction accident in downtown Calgary killed a construction worker who was working as a rigger on the 21st floor. Early reports stated that the 27-year-old worker fell 10 storeys, but a Calgary policeman said he was crushed when 1,800 kilograms of building materials slipped out of a crane sling.

The construction worker was pronounced dead at the scene of the crane accident.

Workers who were completing projects nearby said they heard a loud thud and that rain and wind made for difficult and potentially dangerous working conditions. Police that Occupational Health and Safety investigators along with the chief medical examiner are now looking into the construction accident.

Calgary construction worker crushed to death in crane accident, AOL News, May 8, 2009

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On Saturday morning, a crane accident in Boston’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood seriously injured two workers. As they were inspecting the roof of a dormitory building at Suffolk University, the 110-foot-tall aerial lift tipped over.

One of the workers, identified as James Williamson, was thrown into a condo building on West Street and died Saturday night at Massachusetts General Hospital. Williamson was an employee of Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance, which is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.

The other worker, Greg Johnson, fell or jumped onto a second-floor rooftop as the crane fell. He was initially listed in serious condition, but his status was changed to fair the following day. Johnson is an employee of Reliable Roofing, which was fined by OSHA last spring for failing to provide guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest sytems.

Federal safety officials and Boston homicide detectives were on the scene through the weekend to investigate the cause of the crane crash.

Firm is cooperating as death on crane investigated, Boston Globe, February 9, 2009

Crane falls down, killing worker, Boston Globe, February 8, 2009

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Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it has cited a Louisiana crane company for alleged safety violations. Of the eight violations, six are considered serious. The total proposed fines carry $71,500 in penalties.

An investigation into safety at the facility began July 18, when four workers were struck and killed by a falling crane. According to a statement released by OSHA, the boom reached an unsafe angle and caused the crane to collapse backward onto the workers.

A representative from OSHA said that if the project superintendant had enforced safety regulations, then it is possible that the crane accident could been avoided. There are also concerns that the crane operator may not have received adequate training. The company has 15 days from receipt of their citations to comply with safety regulations, request a meeting with OSHA, or contest the fines.

Louisiana crane company fined for accident that killed four, Houston Chronicle, January 16, 2009

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Following a wave of fatal crane accidents across the country, a New York contractor has been indicted in a Midtown crane collapse that occurred last year, killing seven people. The district attorney said that William Rapetti was in custody this morning and was indicted on homicide and other charges.

The accident occurred last March, when a 19-story tower crane broke off of an apartment building, hitting several buildings and causing one brownstone town house to be demolished. The construction site inspector who had supposedly inspected the crane several days before the accident was later charged for false claims, and in September of last year, OSHA cited Rapetti Rigging Services for failing to properly stabilize the crane.

According to an email sent to The Associated Press by Rapetti’s defense attorney, the contractor "has agreed to offer his full assistance and expertise in helping to determine the actual cause or causes of the crane collapse that day."

NY contractor indicted in crane collapse, Associated Press, January 5, 2009

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