Crane Accidents #6
This page was last updated on 05/06/2010
Construction Worker Hurt in Accident on Job
OLATHE, Kan. — A Kansas City Metropolitan Area construction worker was hurt Friday in an accident on the job. The 42-year-old man was in stable condition after he was pinned between a piece of construction equipment and a steel beam, KCTV5’s Robb Yagmin reported. It happened at about 11:40 a.m. as the man was working a new addition to a building at Garmin International in the 1700 block of South Mahaffie. He somehow got stuck between the basket on a crane and a steal beam. Some co-workers saw that something was wrong and lowered the boom to see what happened. The man was unconscious for about 30 seconds, and then medical personnel arrived. They rushed him to the hospital with a collapsed lung, which doctors re-inflated. He just started working for a company called Building Erection Services, a subcontractor for a general contractor called Turner Construction. Robb investigated the background of Turner Construction and found the Kansas City company had faced eight OSHA inspections in the state of Kansas since 1976 with one citation in 1993. In the state of Missouri, the company was cited four times for safety reasons in 2000, Robb reported on KCTV5 News at 4:30 p.m. The company paid a $10,000 fine, and three of the citations were deleted, he said. Officials didn’t know exactly how the accident happened because the man was under heavy sedation, but his boss said he was expected to be okay.
UPDATE Hewden faces £16m bill over crane deaths
PERRY GOURLEY
HEWDEN Stuart, the Glasgow plant hire group, faces a damages bill of more than £16m after losing a legal case over a fatal accident. The Court of Appeal has rejected Hewden’s claim over the collapse of a crane at Canary Wharf in 2000, when three workers died. The case is seen as setting a precedent for the way contracts in the construction industry are set up. The appeal had been lodged after the Technology and Construction Court found last November that the company’s former subsidiary, Hewden Tower Cranes, was liable to pay damages to construction groups Cleveland Bridge and Yarm Road following the accident. Hewden appealed on the basis that they were not responsible, since the accident happened during an operation to increase the crane’s height by a process known as ‘climbing’, where extra sections are inserted into it. Roger Stewart QC, counsel for Hewden, argued that under the hiring contract, the erection of the crane which Hewden was responsible for did not include the increase in the height of the crane by climbing. He claimed that it was wrong to say that at the time of the collapse it was still being erected. But the construction firms argued that the climbing process formed part of the crane erection role which Hewden had been responsible for. The original cost of the claim was £8m, but it is now understood the total bill has risen to £16.6m. The damages figure – mainly made up of losses caused to the construction firms – will be considered at another court hearing. As well as the three fatalities, the 150-ton crane’s collapse caused serious injury to two other workers, extensive property damage and substantial delays and disruption to the construction works. It is thought Hewden is considering an appeal against the judgment, which could see it take the case to the House of Lords. The company was not available to comment. The crane was working on the 44-storey HSBC headquarters building at Canary Wharf in Docklands when the accident happened. It was one of five tower cranes hired from Hewden by the construction firms. In their judgment, the appeal court judges stressed there was no implication that the accident was due to actions by Hewden staff, and that the cause of the accident was as yet unknown. The Health and Safety Executive is still investigating the incident, and earlier this year issued an industry discussion paper on the safe use of climbing frames on tower cranes, prompted by the accident. Hewden sold the tower cranes unit to PC Harrington in October last year in a deal thought to be worth £16m, but liability over the court case remained with the Scottish firm. The latest figures show the company made a pre-tax profit of £40.4m last year – a 12% rise on the previous year on turnover up by 4% to £262m. The company’s managing director, Paul Jarvis, recently left his Scottish post after almost three years to become head of the power systems division of Finning, based in Vancouver, Canada. He has been replaced by Nick Lloyd, who was head of Finning UK until 1999 and has recently been running the Canadian group’s business in Chile. Last month the company bought Jersey-based tool hire firm Blandin Light Plant in a £1m deal which it said would move it close to a 30% United Kingdom market share. Hewden Stuart was bought in 2001 by Finning in a £322m agreed takeover deal. The company was founded in 1968 through the merger of Hewden Plant, led by Matthew Goodwin and Frank Jamieson, and Stuart Plant, headed by Ronald Stuart. The firm, which floated at the time of the merger, became the United Kingdom market leader in plant hire.
UPDATE New Details About Deadly Crane Accident
Aug 22, 2003 10:35 am US/Eastern
A man was electrocuted and two co-workers died trying to save him Thursday when a crane struck an overhead power line at a concrete plant. As electricity coursed through the rig, two men rushed to assist its driver, who had been hurled from his cab. One began administering CPR, but the rescue attempt went horribly awry when the second worker touched the still-electrified crane, sending a deadly jolt through all three men, authorities said. “He put his hand on his shoulder, and he steadied himself on the crane, and that’s when they all got it,” said Telford Borough Police Chief Douglas Bickel. Other rescuers, terrified that they too would be shocked and killed, then had to stand by until the live wire was shut off by a utility, said George Strickland, general manager of the JDM Materials plant in suburban Philadelphia where the accident took place. While they waited, the crane became so hot with live power that it caught fire. “It seemed like an eternity. I don’t know how long it actually took,” Strickland sai. The 9:15 a.m. accident left the crane a smoking ruin. Hours after the disaster, a 7,200 volt electrical line remained draped over its boom. The Bucks County coroner identified the crane operator as Robert Forepaugh, 68, of Bensalem. Also killed were Forepaugh’s nephew, George H. Frederick, 41, of Philadelphia, and Danial G. Evans, 29, of Philadelphia. Strickland said Forepaugh was a contractor who had been hired to demolish an old structure at the plant. Witnesses said the crane was backing up when it ran into the wires, Strickland said.
Worker falls from truck lift; Arm of bucket truck collapsed
Thursday, August 21, 2003 By TOM QUIGLEY The Express-Times
HOLLAND TWP. — A tree trimmer was injured Wednesday morning when the upper arm of a bucket-truck lift collapsed beneath him, township police said. Joseph C. Longyhore, 31, of Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pa., was inside the bucket when the 8:12 a.m. incident occurred on Miller Park Road, police said. The upper arm of the lift and the bucket fell onto a protective cage covering the cab of the truck, police said. Longyhore then bounced out of the bucket, fell onto the cage head first and then fell to the ground, police said. Before the collapse, the worker was about 40 feet up trimming tree branches near power lines. Police said Longyhore suffered head, facial and shoulder injuries. Longyhore works for Nelson Tree Services, of Ashland, Ohio. The company has a contract with Jersey Central Power & Light Co. to trim branches near power lines in the area, police said. Police said it is not yet known what caused the upper arm of the lift to collapse. Police said Longyhore was conscious and alert after the incident and was treated at the scene by members of the Milford-Holland Rescue Squad. He was then flown to St. Luke’s Hospital in Fountain Hill. A nursing supervisor said she had no information about his condition Wednesday afternoon. Township police were also assisted at the scene by members of the Holland Township Fire Company.
Crane collapse crushes 5 cars, large truck in Fort Lauderdale
By Shannon O’Boye sun-sentinel.com August 21, 2003, 2:59 PM EDT
FORT LAUDERDALE — A large construction crane collapsed on Thursday, crushing five cars and a flatbed truck parked on the ground far below. No injuries were reported. Witnesses said there was no warning. Some compared the sound of the collapse, which lasted for 15 to 20 seconds, to an earthquake. The collapse of the crawler crane occurred around 9:40 a.m. on the 500 block of Northeast Second Avenue where a five-story apartment building is being built. It was not immediately known what caused the accident, which involved a 135-foot tall tower and a 150-ton crane with a 140-foot-long boom, or luffing jib. A sign on the crane said Sims Crane. The crane operator, who was not immediately identified, was lifting a large load of forms when the collapse occurred. He was not injured, but the load of forms, described as the size of a railroad car, dropped to the street below. No other details were immediately available.
Men Die Trying To Rescue Coworker; Crane Came In Contact With Wire
A man was electrocuted and two co-workers died trying to save him Thursday when a crane struck an overhead power line at a concrete plant and exploded. As electricity coursed through the rig, two men rushed to assist its driver, who had been hurled from his cab. One began administering CPR, but the rescue attempt went horribly awry when the second worker touched the still electrified crane, sending a deadly jolt through all three men, authorities said. “He put his hand on his shoulder, and he steadied himself on the crane, and that’s when they all got it,” said Telford Borough Police Chief Douglas Bickel. Other rescuers, terrified that they too would be shocked and killed, then had to stand by until the live wire was shut off by a utility, said George Strickland, general manager of the JDM Materials plant in suburban Philadelphia where the accident took place. Late Thursday afternoon two of the victims were identified. The crane operator was Robert Forepaugh (pictured, left side of picture), 68, the owner of the demolition company that was subcontracted by JDM Materials. One of the other workers killed was Forepaugh’s nephew, George Frederick (pictured, right side of picture), 41. “It seemed like an eternity. I don’t know how long it actually took,” Strickland said. The 9:15 a.m. accident left the crane a smoking ruin. Hours after the disaster, a 7,200 volt electrical line remained draped over its boom. Strickland said the three worked for a Bensalem company that had been hired to demolish an old structure at the plant. Witnesses said the crane was backing up when it ran into the wires, Strickland said. Homes across from the construction site were evacuated so people would not enter the area around the electrocution because electricity goes into the ground. About 600 people were without power for about an hour. Power continues to be off at the plant, but is expected to be back Friday.
Crane tips over; causes minor injuries
By Bill Bryan Post-Dispatch 08/18/2003
Two construction workers were injured at about 7:30 a.m. today when a crane tipped over into a building site where they were working. The accident occurred in the Park View Estates subdivision on Kiefer Creek Road in Ellisville, police said. The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, said Ellisville Police Chief Wayne Prince. One workman sustained a cut on his leg and was taken to St. John’s Medical Center in Creve Coeur. The other workman had a bloody nose and a back injury; his status was unclear, Prince said. The two men were on the second floor of an apartment building under construction and were receiving a pallet of plywood from a crane when the crane tipped over and struck the building, Prince said. The crane’s stabilizer legs had not been spread out, Prince said.
Engine hoist kills boy, 16, at Lynnwood auto yard
By J.J. Jensen and Jennifer Sullivan Times Snohomish County bureau
The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating whether a 16-year-old boy killed yesterday when he was struck by an engine hoist at a Lynnwood auto-wrecking yard may have been performing work deemed too hazardous for workers his age. The Snohomish County teen was killed at the Pull-A-Part auto yard, 18306 Highway 99, when he was crushed beneath a 10-foot steel hoist being used to remove an engine from an automobile, said Lynnwood Police Cmdr. Paul Watkins. Watkins said the teen and another employee were using the hoist at about 2 p.m. when it tipped over. The hoist struck the teen and rolled off his body, he said. The other employee called 911, but the teen was dead when emergency personnel arrived, Watkins said. The hoist, which weighs close to 1,000 pounds, was on unsteady ground, he said. “It looks like it was an unfortunate accident,” said Watkins.
Worker Rescued From Largo Metro Project; Steel Beam Hits Man In Tunnel
LARGO, Md. — Emergency workers in Prince George’s County pulled off a tricky rescue Thursday. A large steel beam was being moved by a crane when it struck a construction worker. He was injured and trapped in a large trench the site of the future MetroRail Blue Line track to Largo. Rescuers went down into the trench and treated the man. Then they removed him from the area using a rescue basket and a crane. The injured man was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
UPDATE OSHA Fines Owner In Crane Accident; Feds: Equipment That Collapsed At Norwich Marina In Poor Condition
By PAUL CHOINIERE Day Staff Writer Published on 8/14/2003
Norwich — The crane that collapsed while lowering a boat into the water on June 6 was in deplorable condition, according to a federal investigation, with leaking hydraulic fluid, corroded cables and a rusting stop mechanism. Because of the alleged violations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued $16,800 in fines against the American Wharf Development Corp., owner of the 52-ton Mobile American Crane. The three-decade-old crane was placing a boat into the water at Marina at American Wharf when the boom collapsed, crushing the 28-foot pleasure craft. Aboard the boat were Gerhard Otten, 71, of Putnam, the boat owner; his son, Erich Otten, 35; and a marina worker. The older man said he had facial injuries and broke two vertebrae in his neck, as well as sustaining other minor injuries. Otten, whose face was pinned under the wreckage, said that if the crane had flattened the cabin just a couple of inches more his head would have been crushed. “I feel very, very fortunate to be alive,” Otten said. Among the violations cited by OSHA was having people on the boat while the crane was hoisting it. Items being moved by cranes must be unoccupied. The boat was a few feet over the water when the crane collapsed. Also cited by investigators was the company’s alleged failure to properly inspect the crane or keep required inspection records. State police are also investigating the incident to determine whether any criminal violations occurred. Ronald D. Aliano, president of American Wharf, said his company will contest the findings. Aliano said he was given assurances by his crane operator that the equipment was inspected and records maintained. He would not comment on whether the operator did in fact do the inspections and keep the records, saying such information was a personnel matter. The crane operator was not identified in the report. Aliano said the worker left the American Wharf company soon after the mishap. The crane is no longer in use and will be sold, he said. A company will be hired to haul boats in and out of the water in the spring and fall. American Wharf had used the crane since it opened in 1988, Aliano said. “We would never intentionally allow any unsafe operations,” said the company president. Otten said he has contacted an attorney and is considering legal action.” All I want is my due,” he said, adding that he holds no personal animosity toward American Wharf or the people who work there. “I’m not mad at them, I’m really not. I think they try to be responsible, I really do,” Otten said. “I’d like to get a boat in there again.”
Alba worker is crushed to death
MANAMA
An Alba maintenance man was killed yesterday when his head was crushed between a crane and a ceiling beam. Mohammed Rashid Yousif, 27, is the second Alba employee to die at the smelter in a week. The accident came exactly seven days after father-of-14 Abdulla Ali Ahmed, 54, fell to his death from a walkway. An emergency meeting of senior Alba staff was called last night to discuss the latest incident. Investigations are now underway into both accidents to discover how they happened.
Crane overturns onto construction site, man injured
Sunday, 10 August 2003
MALE, Aug 10 (HNS) — A crane overturned on Saturday onto a construction site of H. Athireege in Male, seriously injuring a man. Adam Mueen, who was observing the work on the site, ducked from the falling crane and jumped to the ground, landing heavily, breaking his right leg and receiving injuries to his left leg. Around 4:15pm local time, the crane belonging to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company overturned onto the construction site of Athireege, the residence of Maldives’ first president Mohamed Amin. Construction work is carried out by Laiko Construction and its supervisor Ali Husham told Haveeru that the framework of the first floor of the building was damaged in the accident. MTCC officials refused to comment on the accident when contacted. However, in an interview to Voice of Maldives by police, Major Ibrahim Latheef said that the crane overturned because the planks supporting the crane’s pivots snapped, and that one of the pivots had also sunk into the ground. This may have occurred because the crane may have been burdened beyond its supporting capacity, Latheef said.
Barge capsizes, sends crane into canal
reported by Sloane Heffernan August 05, 2003 06:12 PM
PUNTA GORDA, August 5, 2003 – A barge carrying a 60-foot crane capsized in a canal in Punta Gorda Isles. Crews were repairing seawalls that were damaged during heavy rains in June when the crane collapsed. An estimated 20 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out of the crane into the water. Most of the fuel was quickly contained. Witnesses said the barge was taking on water before it tipped. “One side of the barge was in the water. It was filling up with water,” said Larry Hofmeister. The operator of the crane was able to jump to safety and only suffered a few scratches. Divers were brought in to recover the wreckage, which is expected to take several days.
Crane Topples At Flagler County Resort; No Injuries Reported
PALM COAST, Fla. — A large crane that was being used at a Flagler County resort construction site toppled Tuesday morning. The accident at the Ocean Beach Resort caused substantial damage to a condominium under construction at the site, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. No injuries were reported, and most of the construction workers were inside when the crane toppled, reports indicated. The Ocean Beach Resort is part of the Ocean Hammock subdivision near Palm Coast. Stay with WESH NewsChannel 2 and WESH.com for further details.
I-95 northbound reopens near Jacksonville after crane wreck
Associated Press July 29, 2003, 11:00 AM EDT
WORLD GOLF VILLAGE — The northbound lanes of Interstate 95 reopened early Tuesday, about 12 hours after a crane being hauled by a truck struck and heavily damaged the overpass at the World Golf Village exit south of Jacksonville. All northbound traffic had been detoured to State Road 16 while temporary repairs were made to the overpass and a broken concrete bridge span was removed, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The southbound traffic was not affected by Monday’s accident. Two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane remain open on International Golf Parkway, which crosses the interstate on the overpass. Truck driver Marvin Castleberry, 38, of Hilliard, was flown by air ambulance to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition. “The gentleman working for the company, Southern Crane, was doing a job at the World Golf Village, forgot to put the boom down, was getting northbound from IGP (International Golf Parkway),” Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Etcher said. “With it up in the air, it struck the overpass.” While the crash was not related to the current road construction in the area, Superior Construction, the contractor for the widening of I-95, was used to remove the damaged beam and make repairs to the overpass, the Department of Transportation said. The Florida Department of Transportation estimates preliminary work to make the overpass safe cost $200,000, and planning will begin for a permanent fix. “They’ve got to cast a new beam, and they’ve got to go ahead and schedule that construction work,” DOT engineer Jim Gant said.
Elementary school construction accident sends 2 to hospital
(Columbia) July 26, 2003 – An accident happened shortly before 11:00am Saturday in front of Burnside Elementary School. Construction workers have been building a covered walkway here but Saturday their work site turned dangerous a sheet of metal hit two of them. One end of the walkway was already covered with sheet metal Saturday the construction crews started working on the roof on the opposite side. They were using a crane to lift the sheet metal when officials say it became unbalanced and slipped hitting two young workers. Both of the workers had serious injuries. One of the patients that was transported had injuries to the head and chest area. Another patient was transported for near amputation to the foot and toe region. Both were conscious and alert at the time of transport. The two men are said to be in stable condition Saturday night at Palmetto Richland Hospital. No word yet on what exactly caused the accident or if the men were wearing protective gear when the accident happened.
Container crushes two auto-drivers to death
NT Bureau Chennai, July 27:
Two autorickshaw drivers met a tragic end this morning as they were crushed to death when a container carrying granite stones fell on them at Saidapet early this morning while a man selling fish was killed in a mishap involving a van and a water tanker at Nandanam. According to police, the mishap at Saidapet occurred at around 5.30 a.m when the container slipped off the lorry and fell on the autorickshaws parked at Todhunter Nagar with a great thud. Three autorickshaws were crushed under the impact of the fall. While one of the drivers Murugan (37) died on the spot, Baskaran (30), who sustained serious injuries, succumbed on the way to hospital. Another driver Mustafa, who has been admitted to the Royapettah Government Hospital is said to be in a serious condition. People in the vicinity of the accident site rushed to the spot to rescue the auto drivers after hearing their cries for help. However, their efforts were hampered as the three were trapped under the massive container. The services of police and fire service personnel were sought to help remove the container. Huge cranes were pressed into service to remove the container wshich fell on the autos. While Murugan is survived by a wife and two daughters, Baskaran is survived by his wife and a son. His wife is said to be pregnant now. The lorry carrying the container was proceeding to the Harbour from the granite factory located in Porur. Top police officials including G Uma Ganapathy Sastry, Joint Commissioner (Traffic), rushed to the accident spot and ordered for removal of the container. In the other mishap, which is said to have occurred at 3 a.m near the TNHB office in Nandanam, a van carrying a group of fishermen and a couple of college students was hit by a water tanker. Police said the van was damaged in the mishap while one of the occupants died. Eleven others including a woman also sustained injuries and have been admitted to a city hospital for treatment. The dead has been identified as Baskaran (32). The two accidents led to a traffic disruption on the arterial Anna Salai in the city. Police personnel rushed to the spot to clear the traffic.
Five electrocuted in crane accident
From correspondents in Beijing 24jul03
FIVE workers died when they were electrocuted as the arm of their mechanical crane grazed high-tension wires in Shijiazhuang in northern China, state media reported today. The accident occurred yesterday as the workers were moving the crane across a construction site at a cement factory. Five of the workers were electrocuted and the driver was ejected from the seat of the vehicle. He was taken to hospital where he remains with serious burns. Police sources cited by Xinhua said the cause of the accident is under investigation.
One woman killed after massive crane crushes pickup in St. John’s
Canadian Press Monday, July 21, 2003
ST. JOHN’S, Nfld. (CP) – One woman was killed Monday when a 170-tonne crane truck lost control and crushed a pickup in downtown St. John’s. The crane truck had exited a major highway onto New Gower Street when it veered off the road, collided with a utility pole and and struck the pickup. Police did not release the name of the woman killed. “The woman was . . . trapped inside,” said Staff Sgt. June Layden of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. “The regional fire department is arranging for extraction of the body.” The mobile crane also hit two parked cars, but there were no other injuries. The accident also temporarily knocked out power to much of the downtown.
Construction accident at new bridge injures worker
By BLAKE NICHOLSON, Associated Press Writer
A Texas man working on the new Four Bears Bridge west of New Town was seriously injured in a crane accident, officials say. Ballwin, Mo.-based Fru-Con Construction Corp. said the worker was injured June 26 when he was hit and knocked to the ground when a track on a crane came loose while a piece of equipment was being moved. The worker was airlifted to a Minot hospital and later taken to a hospital in Texas, Fru-Con spokesman Cam Green said Tuesday. Green said the company is not identifying the man and not releasing information on his injuries. “He is recovering,” Green said. He said the cause of the incident is still being investigated, “and will be for some time.” “We know how it happened; we don’t know why it happened,” Green said. Bruce Beelman, area director in Bismarck for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the agency is investigating the incident. “It takes time to interview employees,” he said. “It’s just unpredictable as far as how long it can take as far as getting all the information we need to get to make a decision.” Paul Braun, a spokesman for the North Dakota Department of Transportation, said the state is referring all questions to Fru-Con. Construction of the new $55 million bridge got under way in May and is scheduled to be done by the fall of 2004. The mile-long bridge is replacing a structure that has been deemed too narrow for modern traffic. It is being financed with state and federal funds. The bridge will have two 12-foot-wide driving lanes with 8-foot-wide shoulders, and a 10-foot-wide walkway. The current bridge is only about 20 feet wide.
Hereford man injured in power line accident
The Amarillo Globe-News
MIAMI – A Hereford man working here on the new railroad expansion was injured Thursday when a crane became entangled in power lines. Roberts County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Smithey said Anthony Abeyta, 19, working for Messer Construction of Hereford, was unloading concrete railroad ties from a work train to the new rail bed using a link-belt crane about 11 a.m. When workers raised the crane, the boom got into some power lines above the crossing on North Main Street and Railroad Avenue, Smithey said. Abeyta was holding onto the clamps on the rail tie and suffered electrical shock. He was conscious with noticeable burns to his hands and feet, Smithey said, and was flown by Lifestar to University Medical Center in Lubbock. Abeyta was the only one injured in the accident, Smithey said. Xcel Energy officials arrived on the scene to check the lines, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad officials shut down the site for the day, Smithey said.
Large construction crane topples at D/FW airport
07/02/2003 From Staff Reports
A large construction crane toppled over early Wednesday afternoon at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal D. No one is known to have been injured in the accident, which airport officials are investigating, airport spokeswoman Star Ormand said. No cause or damage estimate is immediately available, Ms. Ormand said. Terminal D is D/FW’s future all-international flight terminal and is currently under construction. It is slated to open in 2005 as the airport’s fifth terminal.
Crane Accident at Construction Site Kills Five
Five workers were killed yesterday morning when a crane beam broke and fell at an apartment construction site in Pyongtaek, Kyonggi Province. Four others were seriously injured and are receiving medical care at nearby hospitals. The workers were working above the crane when its beam broke, causing them to fall 45 meters to the ground below, killing five instantly. Police are investigating the exact cause of the accident.
UPDATE T. K. Stanley cited violations
by: OilOnline June 30, 2003
Houston, Texas… T. K. Stanley Inc., of Rayne, La., was cited with six alleged serious and two repeat violations following a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection that began about three months ago. A moving crane boom carrying a 50-ton mud pump collapsed, due to muddy, unstable ground, and hit and killed a nearby worker. At the time of the accident, T. K. Stanley was relocating an oil rig to another drilling site.
Worker Freed After Crane Collapse; No Word On Worker’s Condition
Story by Boston Channel
REVERE, Mass. — A worker was rescued in Revere Thursday afternoon when a huge crane he was operating collapsed in an industrial area. The scene of the accident was the Global Oil Company in Revere. The worker eventually was extracted and there is no word on his condition. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating whether the company and the crane’s owners, Glancy Crane based in Avon, had complied with all safety measures.
UPDATE Crane falls at construction site, injuring worker
An internal investigation continues today to determine why a section of a crane fell six feet onto a construction worker’s leg at the site of what will be a new indoor football practice facility adjacent to Jack Trice Stadium. Leslie Johnson, 46, of Omaha, Neb., was part of a three-man crew that was shortening the crane’s boom on Wednesday afternoon. A section fell on his left leg trapping him for a matter of minutes. He was freed by workers with equipment on the construction site before fire and medical crews arrived to stabilize him. Johnson was taken to Mary Greeley Medical Center where he was treated for a broken leg and listed in fair condition Wednesday night. A hospital spokesman said this morning that Johnson had been transferred, but no further details were available. “One of the things that really helped was the fast reaction of the employees that were here, that realized the situation and got other equipment on site to the scene and got things under control,” said Mike Tousley, the president of the eitz Co. The 60-ton crane had its boom resting on the ground when the accident occurred. Workers were removing several pins from a joint in the boom when a section fell to the ground and injured Johnson, Tousley said. The crane was being shortened to pick up and place a section of steel, he said. “All proper safety issues were followed,” Tousley said. He would not comment on how the accident occurred or the process that workers go through when dismantling a crane’s boom. Tousley cited the ongoing investigation as the reason for not offering many details of the accident. The Weitz Company is the project’s contractor and the company that hired the crane subcontractor, J.P. Cullen & Sons, Inc., which is based in Wisconsin. Johnson was employed by the Cullen company, Tousley said. The $9.6 million practice facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Construction crews sent many workers home a few hours early on Wednesday. Workers returned this morning. Tousley estimated 15 to 20 workers were on the construction site when the accident occurred. “It was a tough situation for everyone involved,” Tousley said. “Everyone was concerned with the welfare of the employee.”
UPDATE Underground Services (1983) Ltd. fined $150,000 for health and safety violation
BELLEVILLE, ON, June 19 /CNW/ – Underground Services (1983) Ltd., a Bolton, Ont. construction company, was fined $150,000 on June 17, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of two workers. On October 26, 2001, workers were removing “jersey barriers” (concrete road barriers) at a highway road and bridge repair project when a cable on a crane, which was being used to lift the barriers, came in contact with a 44,000-volt overhead power line. The incident occurred as one of the workers, who had been signalling the crane operator, went to speak to a second worker. At the time, the crane was in a stopped position. While the signal worker’s back was turned, the crane started to back up and the second worker yelled for the signal worker to alert the crane operator of the nearby overhead wires. However, before the signal worker could warn the operator, the crane’s cable came in contact with the power line, which was located 11.58 metres (37 feet, 11 inches) above the highway, and the crane became energized. The signal worker was electrocuted while trying to get between the crane and centre median to warn the operator. The operator was electrocuted while trying to leave the crane’s cab, possibly after seeing the signal worker fall. Both workers died as a result of their injuries. The incident occurred on Highway 401 near Highway 62 in Belleville. Underground Services (1983) Ltd. had been contracted by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to conduct the highway repairs on Highway 401 between overpasses on Highways 37 and 62. Underground Services had, in turn, contracted some of the work to a crane company, which employed the two deceased workers. As constructor, Underground Services had overall responsibility for the safety of all employers and workers on the project. Underground Services (1983) Ltd. pleaded guilty, as the constructor, to failing to ensure warning signs were posted in prominent locations where there was a potential hazard from energized overhead power lines, as required by Section 44 of the Regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 23(1)(a) of the act. The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Sheila Matchett of the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville. In addition, the court imposed a 25- per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Man Trapped Under Crane
A construction worker is in the hospital tonight after being trapped beneath a crane in Ames. It turned into a very scary afternoon for the Less Johnson and those who rescued him. At about 1:30 this afternoon there were roughly twenty workers at Jack Trice Stadium when a sixty ton crane came crashing down. Weitz Construction company and some subcontractors were trying to take apart sections of the crane’s boom. It took three men to get the job done, but something went wrong. The crane was about six feet in the air when it fell to the ground pinning 46-year-old Johnson beneath it. The crane landed mainly on Johnson’s left leg. His fellow construction workers were able to free him in a matter of minutes. Construction workers are still trying to figure out what caused the crane to drop. Johnson, is in fair condition at Mary Greeley Medical Center with a broken leg. Severe weather did hit this area this afternoon, but the president of the construction company says that had nothing to do with the accident.
Man dies in crane plunge
A dock worker has died after plunging 115ft from a crane at a busy container port. The incident took place at the Trinity Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe just before lunchtime. The man had only been working at the port for a few weeks and was undergoing training, said Paul Davey, corporate affairs manager at the port. He said: “The accident resulted in the tragic death of an employee. His wife has been informed but we are unable to give any further details until all his relatives have been informed. “A thorough investigation will be held to determine the circumstances leading to the accident.” The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and will visit the scene.
Bridge Construction Worker Crushed To Death
June 16, 2003
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A construction worker on the Wonderwood Connector project was killed Monday morning by a falling concrete piling. A Fire-Rescue spokesman said the man working on the western approach to the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway was crushed by a concrete pillar being set in place. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office homicide investigators were called to the scene. “A concrete post snapped in half,” JSO Lt. Mike Beckmann said. “It was up on a large crane and (workers were) securing it. It snapped in half and struck him.” The man’s identity was not released, pending the notification of his family. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also investigate the death. The death occurred on the 2-mile, $36.8 million Wonderwood project, which will connect east Arlington to Mayport. “Our hearts go out to the family, and we will do everything we can to help ease their pain,” the contractor, Eby Construction Co., said in a statement. Construction on the site was suspended until Wednesday. This is the second death of a worker on the Wonderwood Connector project. Last July, 51-year-old Beverly Brittain drowned when she dove into the water off a tugboat to free the tug’s propeller.
UPDATE Docker crushed to death by crane Jun 11 2003
Ellesmere Port Pioneer
A DOCKER was crushed to death after he was trapped under a five-tonne crane, a Liverpool inquest heard. Jeffrey Charles Swan senior, 53, from Woodsome Close, Whitby, died from massive head injuries after the accident at Seaforth Docks. His son, Jeffrey Swan junior, was working only yards away on the quayside when his father was killed. The father-of-two, who had more than 30 years experience as a stevedore, was unloading wood pulp from the hold of the MV Plover Arrow on August 3 last year when his leg became trapped. Fellow dock worker Jay Blackburn said Mr Swan had warned him to be careful not to trip on the loose bindings which held the bales of pulp. He added: ‘The frame hit him on the head and trapped him against the bulkhead. I was shocked, I just ran, I’d never seen anything like this before.’ Scott Proctor, who was working alongside Mr Swan, said he watched as his colleague was crushed against the bulkhead of the ship. He said: ‘I shouted that Jeff had been crushed, there was blood coming from his ears, nose and mouth. I put him in the recovery position but I couldn’t feel his pulse. Coroner Christopher Sumner said: ‘There is no doubt that Mr Swan died a violent death but I think we can equally accept, perhaps mercifully, that his death was instant.’ The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
By GREG SMITH Norwich Bulletin
NORWICH– Emergency personnel extricated a Putnam man trapped on his boat when the arm of a crane came crashing down Friday. The accident occurred at 12:30 p.m. at 7 Falls Ave. as the 28-foot Carver was being lowered into the Yantic River from its storage spot. Three people were aboard the boat as it was being lowered into the water, including the owner, his son and a dock worker from the Norwich Marina at American Wharf. Norwich police, along with officials from OSHA and the Department of Environmental Protection, are investigating the accident. While moving the boat, a cable from the crane snapped and the boom fell directly onto the boat, police said. “I was right under the crane when it crashed. A cable snapped or something,” said Pete Siragusa, 19, of Norwich, who avoided injury in the incident. Norwich police, firefighters from the Norwich Fire Department and emergency personnel from American Ambulance responded to the scene. Boat owner Gerhard Otten, 71, of 101 Fox Road, Putnam, was transported to The William W. Backus Hospital for treatment after being pulled from the crushed and sinking watercraft. Norwich Fire Department Chief James Walsh said extreme care is taken during extrications because of the possibility of neck or back injuries. “It looked a lot worse than it actually was,” Walsh said at the scene. Otten was alert when he was transported, he said. Otten’s son received minor injuries from the glass that shattered from windows in the boat with the impact of the crane arm. The dock worker was uninjured, police said. “Everybody got really lucky today,” Walsh said. By chance, members of the fire department saw the accident occur from the station across the train tracks off West Main Street. They were the first to call 911. Investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said.
UPDATE Lorry driver died in lifting operation accident
An inquest jury at Hexham Magistrates’ Court has returned a verdict of accidental death after listening to evidence describing a lifting operation in July 2002 that ended the life of lorry driver Marc Channon, 31, in an accident. Mr Channon, an employee of Dowse Crane Hire of North Durham, was delivering a portacabin to a Northumberland construction site, but during the lifting and slinging operation the chains supporting the portacabin broke free from the crane lifting hook and fell on him inflicting such injuries that he died at the scene.
Construction Accident
The soggy ground is to blame for an accident that sent a crane truck into a Henrico home Tuesday. It happened while workers were taking down tree limbs in front of the house. A jack that supports the truck sunk into the mud, sending the truck onto its side. It clipped a portion of the house. No one was home at the time.
Crushed port worker remains in critical condition
21 May 2003
A Wellington port worker whose leg was crushed by a shipping container was still in a critical condition today. The man, an employee of Centreport subsidiary Central Stevedoring, was giving instructions to a crane operator on board the Pacific Quest at Aotea Quay when he was struck by the container about 2.30am yesterday. Centreport chief executive Ken Harris said the man was a long-time member of the company and the accident had shocked staff. “We’ve got several staff having counselling at the moment; we’re a very close family down here, so it’s quite traumatic for us all.” A workmate provided first aid and comforted the man until medical help arrived. Ambulance staff had to perform cardiac resuscitation on him when his heart stopped. Investigators said strong winds of 50 knots (97kph) could be a possible reason for the accident. However, Mr Harris said the company was “not convinced by any means” that wind was the only factor involved. “We’ve been gathering a lot of information and we’re not finished yet; there’s a lot to learn – there are still things we don’t understand here.” The man, who has not been named, was taken to Wellington Hospital and underwent emergency surgery on his leg. He was still in a critical condition today in intensive care. Work at the port began again this morning after being suspended yesterday while Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) staff interviewed workers and examined the crane. MSA deputy director Tony Martin said it could be “some weeks” before the cause of the accident was determined.
UPDATE Worker Death at Detriot’s Ford Field Results in Penalties Totaling $556,000
May 21, 2003
The Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services (CIS) announced last week the conclusion of the nine-month investigation of a fatal work accident at Ford Field with citations and penalties against Brockman Equipment, Inc. for $286,000, and Thomarios Painting for $270,000. The CIS Bureau of Safety and Regulation (BSR) is responsible for administering the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA). Thomarios Painting was a subcontractor on the Detroit Lions’ Ford Field stadium construction site. Brockman Equipment, Inc. rented two aerial lifts to Thomarios, including a Condor 150S aerial work platform with an articulating and extensible boom. On July 30, 2002, Thomarios painter Gjon Gojcaj was in the Condor and was painting trusses more than 120 feet above the surface on the east side of the stadium. At about 10:15 a.m., the outrigger of the Condor lifted off the ground for the second time and the lift fell to the east, landing in the lower concrete seating area and fatally injuring Gojcaj, according to CIS. “Ford Field is a shining gem for the Detroit Lions and for the city of Detroit. It saddens us deeply that its construction legacy includes the death of worker Gjon Gojcaj,” says Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “This needless tragedy could have been avoided if either company had fulfilled their safety and health responsibilities.” A total of nine willful violations are alleged against the two companies–five against Thomarios Painting and four against Brockman Equipment. Thomarios was cited for a willful violation of the General Duty clause for failure to protect their worker from a hazardous condition and a willful citation for failure to have operators perform a pre-operation inspection. Brockman received a willful citation for failure to inspect and maintain the aerial lift platform. Both companies received three Willful citations for: inadequate training, no manuals provided, and missing warning decals/stickers. A willful violation is defined as one committed with an intentional disregard of or plain indifference to the requirements of the MIOSHA Act and regulations. Based on provisions in the MIOSHA Act, Public Act 154, as amended, every willful violation, which is connected to a fatality, is referred to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office for criminal investigation and/or prosecution. Thomarios received a total of 14 citations, and Brockman received a total of 10 citations, for alleged safety violations. The companies have 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply or contest the violations and penalties. “It became apparent from our MIOSHA investigation that each of these two companies abrogated their own safety and health responsibilities and relied on the other company to protect the workers,” says CIS Director David C. Hollister. “These citations today send a clear message that in a situation involving multiple companies–every company will be held accountable for the willful disregard of worker safety and health.”
Crane Topples
A crane came toppling down in downtown Fresno, putting several lives in danger. It happened at the construction site for the new federal building at Tulare and P Streets in downtown Fresno. The crane crashed down just after 8:00am Monday morning, falling on a semi trailer. No one was hurt. The accident is being attributed to operator error. Construction officials are now working on a way to right the fallen machine.
UPDATE Crane-hire company fined for worklace death that was ‘wholly avoidable’
Robert Grant, an employee of Rumney Crane and Engineering Ltd, Rumney, S.Wales, lost his life in what a Welsh judge described as a “wholly avoidable accident” in March last year. Mr Grant died from injuries he sustained in a 10-metre fall from a crane at his employer’s premises as he undertook electrical work. The company admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in the circumstances of Mr Grant’s death and was fined £15,000 with £1,266 costs at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. Steve Scott, HSE Principal Inspector commented: “Wearing a suitable safety harness would undoubtedly have saved Mr Grant’s life. Firms whose employees work at height should operate the ‘two-metre rule’. In essence, workers should not work within 2 metres of an open edge from which they might fall more than 2 metres unless appropriate precautions have been taken.”
Freeways Reopen After Crane Accident; I-5, I-805 Shut Down For Several Hours
May 14, 2003
SAN DIEGO — A crane collapsed on Interstate 5 early Wednesday, pulling down power lines, snarling traffic and causing a chaotic commute. The accident closed stretches of Interstates 5 and 805 until midmorning. A southbound stretch of Interstate 5, a main traffic artery linking the North County to downtown, was the last to reopen at noon, more than nine hours after the accident. The closures left tens of thousands of commuters with nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait. About 270,000 vehicles a day that come through this interchange, so it’s a lot of traffic. It impacted all the surface streets and freeways both north and south. It was a headache for commuters and officers,” California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Gregg said. A pregnant woman stuck in traffic called 911 about 6:30 a.m. to report that her water broke. Paramedics were able to reach her and get her to a nearby hospital. Earlier, a truck driver stuck in the backup was arrested for drunken driving, according to CHP officer Phil Konstantin. Amtrak and the Coaster, a commuter railway from Oceanside to San Diego, also were held up for hours. The accident occurred about 2:30 a.m. as Caltrans construction crews were working overnight on a project to widen the I-5 and I-805 merge. A crane was attempting to lift 145 tons of steel rebar into place when it collapsed and knocked down power lines that cross the highway. No one was injured, but nearly 3,000 nearby homes and businesses were left without power for several hours. About 700 people still remained without power as of Wednesday afternoon. Those affected are mostly businesses in the Torrey Pines area, 10News reported. Around 6 p.m. the California Highway Patrol reclosed both lanes of I-5 and northbound I-805 around the merge and State Route 52 to repair power lines. According to 10News, traffic flow was back to normal as of 7 p.m. and cars moved freely on the freeways. San Diego Gas and Electric said it could take several days to fully repair three high-voltage transmission lines and two distribution lines that were damaged.
Fallen crane causes power outage: Driver escapes injury, but Natick homeowners are inconvenienced
By Jon Brodkin Wednesday, May 14, 2003
NATICK — A crane attempting to move a tree tipped over yesterday morning, pulling down wires and causing a power outage to 1,900 homes. The driver, Ernie Tupper of Framingham, escaped serious injury, needing only bandages for cuts on his hand. Tupper was removing a tree for a homeowner at North Avenue and Tibbets Street around 11 a.m., when the three-axle vehicle tipped over, causing the crane to drag down wires. That set off a chain reaction which broke a nearby pole, officials said. Deputy Fire Chief Gene Sabourin said the long crane likely was holding the tree at an angle too close to being parallel with the ground, causing the whole vehicle to tip. “It’s just a matter of too much extension and too much lean,” Sabourin said. The longer the crane, the higher it should be, especially when holding heavy objects, he said. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is leading the investigation into why the crane tipped. Officials were still on the scene as of 6:30 last night. It was taking them many hours to lift the truck upright because of OSHA’s investigation and delays in getting the proper equipment to the scene. The crane was eventually righted and towed just away before dark. The last fire crew left just after 9 p.m. NStar crews, though, worked into the night trying to restore power. Tupper, 35, declined to comment, except to say that his hand was not hurt badly. Natick Sgt. Robert Davis said one of four outriggers used to steady the vehicle broke, another possible cause of the accident. He also said OSHA officials likely will look into whether the tree exceeded the allowed weight the crane can carry. The longer the boom, he said, the less weight it is supposed to haul. NStar spokesman Mike Monahan said all but about six of the 1,900 customers who lost power had it restored within 45 minutes. NStar could not replace a transformer to restore power to the other six until several hours later, when OSHA finished its on-site investigation, he said. Because of the nature of the accident, local officials were required to notify OSHA, which did not arrive until almost two hours after the mishap. Residents who had lost power in their homes milled about the scene, as NStar employees worked to put the lights back on and firefighters and police officers tried to determine how the crane fell. Tupper, whose vehicle was labeled All Time Crane Service, apparently was unsure about why the accident occurred. At one point, he asked several local officials for their opinion on why the crane tipped over. The tree he had been removing from next to the house lay broken on the street. The driveway in which the crane had been working was cracked in the fall. A 38-year-old Tewksbury worker died in a crane accident in Waltham last November. Dennis O’Neil was riding in the extended bucket of a crane when the truck tipped over. In yesterday’s accident, there was no bucket on the crane. Sabourin said the tree was secured to the crane by a cable with a hook.
Worker crushed to death under crane
CHIBA — A construction worker was fatally crushed Thursday when a 47-meter long crane came falling down on him in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, police said. Takashi Kokubun, 54, died instantly. Two of his colleagues were also hurt in the accident. Police said the crane was trying to lift a wall at a construction site. It toppled when the arm of the crane was stretched to the maximum 47-meters, construction officials said. The area was very windy at the time. Police are also investigating a claim that operators of the crane forgot to put weights on the crane to prevent it from toppling. (Compiled from Mainichi and wire reports, Japan, May 8, 2003)
UPDATE Crane accident again claims man from firm; Same company employed workers killed at Miller Park
By LINDA SPICE Last Updated: May 7, 2003
A Minnesota man killed in the city’s first fatal crane accident since the 1999 Big Blue crash worked for the same company that employed the three ironworkers killed in the Miller Park tragedy. According to a Milwaukee County medical examiner’s report, Edward Dern died Tuesday afternoon when an 616-pound steel beam fell on him during construction of Cathedral Place, a $52 million development near N. Jackson and E. Wells streets that will include parking, condominiums and offices. Dern, a married father of four who was working for Danny’s Construction Co., based in Shakopee, Minn., died at the accident scene. An ironworker since age 16, Dern, 35, had Preacher written on his hard hat. Outside of his construction work, he was the pastor of Apostolic House of Prayer in Worthington, Minn., and was studying with Aenon Bible College to finish pastoral credits, according to obituary information released by Dingmann Funeral Home, which is handling services for Dern in Minnesota. He was hired as the varsity soccer coach for the Worthington Senior High School and recently took the U-14 traveling team to the state level, winning two gold medals. He was active in his community’s YMCA and with other youth groups. Dern was to celebrate his wedding anniversary on Friday with his wife, Angela, the funeral home reported. George Yoksas, area director for Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the incident was the first crane accident causing a fatality in Milwaukee since Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave and Jerome Starr died on July 14, 1999, when the Big Blue crane toppled while lifting a 450-ton roof piece on the Miller Park project. The three men were employed by Danny’s Construction. Company officials at the Minnesota office for Danny’s Construction referred a reporter to the Milwaukee office, where officials said they had no comment about Tuesday’s incident nor about Dern. Government documents on the OSHA Web site confirm that the company also was involved in the Miller Park project. Yoksas said Tuesday’s accident remained under investigation. He said two people from OSHA were interviewing witnesses, employees and contractors and would be checking into worker training in the next few weeks. Milwaukee police Lt. Eric Moore said the case is also being investigated by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s Office. Developer Joel Lee, one of four owners of the Cathedral Place building, said OSHA officials had just visited the work site two weeks ago and reported no problems. He said Danny’s Construction was a subcontractor hired by another subcontractor working for KBS Construction, the general contractor. “Everything seemed to be OK,” he said. “We just got word about this late yesterday. Everybody around here is just very upset by it. It’s unfortunate. We just don’t have any idea as to what the cause of it was. It just seems to be basically an industrial accident. It’s a tragic one, too.” The medical examiner’s report says Dern died of crushing chest injuries as well as other injuries to his head and extremities as a result of blunt force trauma from the falling beam. Preliminary accounts contained in the report indicate Dern and another worker were in a parking lot near the construction site linking two steel beams to a crane. Dern’s job was to place the choke on the beam and hook it to the crane. The choke is located in the middle of the beam and tightens when the beam is lifted, according to the report. The accounts indicate the crane had lifted two beams 50 to 100 feet in the air when the other worker noted that the lower beam was not hooked up right. The crane operator, a third worker, was given instruction to lower the beam down. When it was about 26 feet from the ground, the lower beam fell off the hook and landed on Dern.
Deadly Accident
A barge captain is dead after an accident at a consumers power facility in Mason county. It happened around noon Monday in Ludington while the man was working on a fish barrier net at the consumers power storage facility. The man was crushed by a crane of a jack up barge. He was a contractor working at an underwater construction corporation. The company was contracted to install and maintain the fish barrier net around the area.
Beam falls, kills construction worker; Downtown accident under investigation
By KELLY WELLS May 6, 2003
A 35-year-old construction worker was killed Tuesday when a steel I-beam being lifted by a crane fell on him at a downtown Milwaukee construction site, authorities said. The man was working on the parking structure for the Cathedral Place development being built on the southeast corner of N. Jackson and E. Wells streets. He was in a small lot on the east side of Jackson St. when he was killed. Authorities declined to release the man’s name or to say for which construction firm the man worked because his family had not been notified. When rescue personnel arrived, the man’s co-workers had already lifted the beam off him, Milwaukee Fire Department Lt. Randy Hamburger said, but the man died at the scene. Hamburger estimated the beam weighed between 800 and 1,000 pounds. KBS Construction, the general contractor for the project, said the man who was killed did not work for KBS. Larry Breneman, vice president of Madison operations, said he was at the site at the time of the accident, but he declined to speculate on what went wrong, saying the accident was under investigation. “Our heart goes out to his family,” Breneman said of the man who died. A representative of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration who was at the accident site also declined to comment and referred questions to the agency’s Milwaukee office, which had closed for the day. Cathedral Place, a $52 million development, will include parking, condos and offices.
Buckled sign scaffolding bottlenecks SPID; Some are trapped on the highway for more than an hour
By Mike Baird Caller-Times May 4, 2003
A damaged and dangling 18-ton sign bridge that buckled while being removed caused traffic to be closed in both directions for several hours early Saturday on South Padre Island Drive. The sign bridge, a road sign-holding metal scaffolding that stretched across all six lanes of the highway, buckled while being removed by a 100-ton crane near the fly-over construction on SPID between Kostoryz Road and Ayers Street. Workers were forced to leave the damaged sign bridge dangling on the crane until Texas Department of Transportation workers could safely cut off about a third of it with an acetylene torch. The Corpus Christi Police Department provided 15 units to help reroute traffic, which quickly bottlenecked on access streets and side roads, said Lt. Carlos Rios, police department traffic supervisor. Dozens of drivers were trapped on SPID for more than an hour while police worked to clear the highway, police said. Mathis residents Deborah Dodd and her 10-year-old son, Gus, were delayed nearly an hour while commutng to the science fair at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “I was pretty worked up by the traffic delays,” Dodd said. Buckled just before 8 a.m. The sign bridge was to be removed at 7 a.m., said Cliff Bost, transportation department spokesman. “It was in the way for the expansion project close to the interchange, where the fly-over is being constructed,” Bost said. “It got hung up on the metal supports and about a third of it buckled just after 8 a.m.” Because of the way the sign bridge was bent, the crane couldn’t move it until another crane was brought in and the structure was cut into two pieces, he said. “Anytime you have construction, traffic patterns can change hourly, and people need to expect things – today was a good example of that,” Bost said. Police received a call for assistance about 11 a.m., and Rios said their units had cleared the southeast-bound traffic by 1:50 p.m. Northwest-bound traffic was clear by 2:30 p.m., he said. At least one police sergeant was trapped by the unexpected traffic mess. Sgt. Tim Revis, who works in robbery and homicide investigations, couldn’t get off SPID for an hour and 20 minutes, he said. The delay was long enough that he couldn’t get to a suicide investigation. “It was a mess,” he said. “Some people were backing up, going the wrong way.” One accident that occurred near the congestion couldn’t be directly linked to the SPID traffic problem, police said.
UPDATE OSHA penalty is paid, $7K fine levied in training lapse
By NANCY POSTER For Dispatch/Sunday News
Monday, May 05, 2003 – A Hanover contracting company fined in connection with a worker’s death in January has paid the fine but says it does not admit any wrongdoing. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Conewago Enterprises $7,000 — the maximum the agency can assess — over the training of the employee who was operating a crane involved in the Jan. 16 death of William D. Coulter, 44, of Fairfield, Adams County. The company also was fined $5,000 — later reduced to $3,500 — for a violation not related to the accident, said Robert Fink, director of OSHA’s Harrisburg office. Coulter, who had worked for Conewago for 4 months, was killed Jan. 16 when a bridge crane struck the elevated scissors lift on which he was standing into a precast shop roof. Coulter was pinned against the roof. Adams County Coroner Patricia Leinbach said he died from asphyxia due to blunt force trauma to the neck. OSHA levied the $7,000 fine after determining Conewago did not have each crane operator “designated or trained to operate an overhead bridge crane,” according to the OSHA citation and notification of penalty, which is dated April 4. The employee who was operating the crane the morning Coulter was killed had not been trained to operate the equipment, Fink said. Company’s position: Conewago Enterprises president Donald Smith confirmed that “OSHA investigated the accident and felt there were two areas where we could have done a more thorough job in training. We do not necessarily agree with their assessment.” In a prepared statement, Smith said the company “has one of the best safety and training programs in the industry and in fact have received awards from The Associated Builders & Contractors Association.” Accidents do occur, he wrote. Smith said the company made a business decision to settle the matter with OSHA without admitting any violations “while continuing our efforts to train our employees to work in a safe manner.” Coulter’s death was the first fatality at the company, according to Smith. Last week, Conewago verified that the violations had been corrected and the fines were paid. The second fine, Fink said, was for allowing employees to work in proximity to electric power circuits without protecting them against electric shock by de-energizing and grounding the circuits or shielding the circuits with insulation. After a conference with the company earlier this month, OSHA reduced that penalty to $3,500, Fink said. “They were very cooperative,” he said of the company. Conewago Enterprises, based on Edge Grove Road, does construction work on commercial buildings and public works facilities. The company was formed 10 years ago and is a subsidiary of Conewago Contractors Inc., a 45-year-old Hanover firm. Coulter was married and the father of two children. He was an Army National Guard veteran and had spent 10 years in the Navy.
Man critical after construction accident
By Rodney Tanaka Staff Writer Thursday, May 01, 2003 –
A construction worker was in critical condition Thursday after a piece of equipment from a crane fell on him at Mt. San Antonio College. The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the injury at 9:13 a.m. at Temple Avenue in Walnut. Adrian Camacho, 34, was hit on the right shoulder and back and driven to his knees by an arm used to pump concrete from a crane, fire Capt. Ron Nixt said. Camacho works for subcontractor Correra Concrete. He stopped breathing and did not have a heartbeat, so Mt. SAC security guard Jeff Parker performed CPR on the man until firefighters arrived, Nixt said. Camacho was taken to Harbor- UCLA Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition Thursday evening, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the injury. The Fire Department will give Parker a letter of commendation, Nixt said. West Covina resident Loretta Riddle, 34, who was driving by when the injury happened, said she wanted Parker to be recognized for his life-saving efforts. Parker continued CPR even after Camacho vomited in his mouth, she said. “He saved this man’s life,’ Riddle said. “He is a hero.’
Royal Mint worker unlawfully killed May 2 2003
By Antony Stone, PA News
A Royal Mint worker crushed by a plummeting six-ton furnace was unlawfully killed, an inquest jury said in a controversial verdict today. Shift worker John Wynne, 51, was killed when a 15ft-tall bell furnace slipped off a heavy-duty crane hook and plummeted 14ft. The furnace had been precariously perched on the tip of the crane hook at the time, an inquest jury in Merthyr Tydfil heard today. The death of Mr Wynne, of Gilfachgoch, in the Rhondda Valley, in June 2001, sparked a high level safety inquiry at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, south Wales, where he worked. Health and Safety inspectors discovered a vital safety indicator on the side of the furnace was broken. Later they learned the crane operators had routinely ignored it because they did not know what it was for. Widow Catrina Wynne, 47, and her daughter Joann, 24, both called for the Royal Mint’s immunity from prosecution to be stripped away after the inquest today. A seven-strong jury initially recorded a verdict of unlawful killing after a three-hour inquest. Earlier Philip Walters, the Bridgend and Glamorgan Valleys coroner, had pointedly directed them towards a verdict of accidental death, saying they were not being asked to consider one of unlawful killing. He then sent them back to reconsider the verdict after saying they should be convinced there had been “such disregard for the life and safety of others as to amount to a crime against the state”. The jury then recorded a 6-1 majority verdict of unlawful killing, having been directed to consider an open verdict and one of accidental death as well. Mother and daughter both sobbed for joy and said “thank you” as the jury delivered its verdict. Earlier, Mr Wynne’s colleague Jeffrey Luckey, told the inquest he had been operating the crane from ground level by remote control when the accident happened. He said he was unable to see the crane hook and relied on a top flap “coming up” on the furnace to see when the crane was properly engaged. He had no knowledge of a “tell-tale” safety tab fitted to the side of the furnace, which was designed to lift to show when the hook was properly in place. He said he had never received any training in the operation of the crane, never knew about the operator’s manual, just knew to look for the tab on the roof of the furnace. He said the furnace itself had been at a height of 14ft when it had fallen and struck Mr Wynne. A post mortem later showed that he had died from a blunt injury on his left side. Health and Safety inspector Roger Jones said the tip of the crane hook had been bent out of shape and “burred”. Inquiries had shown that the furnace had been held off the ground by the pointed tip of the crane’s hook. He said it was likely that it had been picked up in a similar way once or twice before. “If somebody told me they were going to lift that load on the tip of the hook, well, you are going to get away with it once, but it would be like flicking a coin. “It can’t have happened that many times because it was going to fall,” said Mr Jones. The inquest heard that safety was regarded as paramount at the Royal Mint and the task in question was now carried out from a raised platform where the crane hook is visible. Managers at the mint agreed they relied on a “cascade effect” where the knowledge of one operator was assumed to be passed on to others. A tearful Mrs Wynne added at the conclusion of the inquest: “They have reached the right verdict today.” Daughter Joann said: “My father was never given any training and to hear people speak, you would think nobody was to blame for his death. “But if my father had known about the safety tab on the furnace, he would be alive today.”
Worker killed in accident at high rise construction site
By ABC13 Eyewitness News
The worker was killed while working on Tremont Towers in southwest Houston Wednesday. An accident at a high rise construction site killed a worker Wednesday. It happened around noon at the Tremont Towers on Yupon and Westheimer in southwest Houston. Workers were moving a load of corrugated steel with a crane when the load shifted. The load fell and hit a worker on the ground. He was rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Houston police and the OSHA are investigating the incident.
YOUNGSTOWN Man killed at site of demolition; Both men ran to avoid the falling beam, but Charles Thomas ran into its path.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR. VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — A Youngstown man died in an accident at a downtown demolition site Saturday. Charles Thomas, 55, of 131 Boardman Street, was crushed by a falling steel beam at the corner of Front and Phelps streets just after noon. The William Pizzuto Co. is tearing down a parking garage on the block bordered by Front, Phelps, West Boardman and Hazel streets. According to police reports, a worker for the construction company was using a crane to lift a steel beam, but the cables on the crane became stuck on a piece of wood and the beam began to fall. Thomas, talking to another man, was standing on the sidewalk in the vicinity of the demolition work, the report shows. Reports say both men began to run in opposite directions when they saw the beam falling, but Thomas ended up in the falling steel’s path. Police said he died before help arrived. The steel beam that hit Thomas is used to protect streetlight poles from falling debris during the demolition process. Under investigation A spokesman for the Youngstown Poice Department said it is unclear if any charges will be filed. He said police are still investigating. William Pizzuto, owner of the demolition company, said Thomas had been a common sight around the demolition area. He said workers had asked him to leave the area several times before the accident, but he would usually come back. “When I left to go to lunch, [Thomas] was standing there on the corner in front of the [Trinity United Methodist] church,” he said. According to Pizzuto, the area around the demolition site was roped off. Family and friends of Thomas’, a steel worker on disability, said it was a part of his nature to be around construction or demolition sites, making conversation with whomever he could. His sister, LaJena Solomon, said he just liked to watch the work. She had gathered Saturday evening with friends of her brother’s outside Amedia Plaza, West Boardman Street, where he lived. “He was always just the type of person that was just there — no matter where you looked, he would be there, talking and being friendly,” she said. Several of Thomas’ neighbors described him as a caring man who was always looking to make new friends and lend a hand when needed.