Page 144 - Urban Construction Project Management

Safety 103
The event that caused this tragic accident was that the riggers were supposedly using
defective rigging equipment. The crane’s collapse caused the death of 7 people and
injury to an additional 25 people. In addition, a high-density urban area (affecting 300
apartments) was shut down several months, affecting businesses and preventing resi-
dents from occupying their apartments. The filing of lawsuits, loss of business, fines,
and the project being shut down are just some of the adverse secondary losses that have
occurred with the crane’s collapse. In addition, after further review of the zoning for the
building, officials determined that the total square footage being constructed was in vio-
lation of current zoning regulations.

On May 30, 2008, another crane accident occurred in New York City, killing the crane
operator and another worker on the ground. Initial indications were that mechanical
failure occurred at the turntable below the cab, which caused the cab to fall from the
mast and land on a busy New York City street. The falling cab and boom caused exten-
sive damage to several apartment buildings surrounding the construction site. As in the
March 15, 2008 incident, not only is a construction project stopped but also a dense
urban neighborhood is being adversely affected. The New York City Department of
Buildings issued a stop work order to all construction sites using jumping cranes.

The March 10, 2008 Engineering News Record article “Cranes, Stalled Federal Rules
Prompt State Action” reviewed the construction industry’s lack of crane inspection and
proper crane operator’s certification. A death in Miami-Dade County, Florida caused by
a crane collapse has prompted the Miami-Dade County building officials to create an
ordinance for better crane safety. On March 24, 2008, another crane collapsed in Miami
Beach, Florida and caused two deaths and five injuries. This collapse seems to have
been caused by heavy winds when the crane was being jumped. It seems the riggers
were rushing to jump the crane after several days of delays caused by high winds.

With the number of cranes operating in major urban centers, it behooves all project man-
agers (PM) to review and evaluate the safety requirements, rigging equipment used, con-
nections inspected, and operator certification for the cranes. Just as the crane collapses in
New York City on March 15, 2008 and May 30, 2008 caused several deaths and extensive
damage to dense neighborhoods, additional and more extensive safety care has to be exer-
cised by all participating members of the construction process in an urban environment.

SAFETY RECORD

Based on information recorded in newspapers and construction magazines, there seems to
be a direct correlation between the volume of construction work in a major city and an
increase in the number of construction injuries and deaths that occur. The construction boom
in Las Vegas, Nevada is a prime example of what is happening with safety on the job site.

It seems with expedited schedules, construction workers tend to take greater risks.
During 2007, 13 construction workers died from various construction accidents in Las