Pandemic of Crane Accidents 1 Running Head: THE PANDEMIC OF CRANE ACCIDENTS IN 2008 The Pandemic of Crane Accidents in 2008 Roger Dale Eley BOS 3401 Student Columbia Southern University August 30, 2009
Pandemic of Crane Accidents 2 Abstract This paper takes a look at recent headline grabbing and media frenzy caused by numerous high profile crane accidents. We would accept the fact that news is more instantaneous today because of 24 hour cable networks and the internet. This could be the reasons the public is more aware of construction related accidents. Due to the unprecedented building boom that has taken place both in the U.S. and abroad, the frequency and the fact that public bystanders have become victims of these accidents has sounded alarm bells throughout the industry. This paper will provide some background into these accidents and conclude by stating the necessity of industry and government to work together to provide updated rules to prevent unnecessary loss of life.
Pandemic of Crane Accidents 3 The following is a case study of several high profile crane accidents which have occurred in recent years. The reasons for these accidents often number as many as the various parties involved in hook work such as the manufacturer, assembler, operator, rigger, signaler, supervisor, project manager, and owner. The results of these accidents have caused innocent members of the public and workers in the trade to lose their lives or incur serious injury. The litigious society that exists today has propelled enormous judgments against the perpetrators of these accidents in the form of heavy fines from regulatory agencies such as OSHA and massive payouts by the insurers to victim s families. The collapse of a tower crane on March 15, 2008 in Midtown Manhattan sounded the wake-up call when six workers and one bystander lost their lives. This accident was followed just ten days later by a section of tower crane falling in Miami and killing two. On May 30, 2008 another tower crane in New York snapped at the turntable and claimed the lives of two people. In Houston, Texas on July 18, 2008 at the Lyondell Bassell refinery, a mobile crane that was being prepared to lift 2 million pounds as part of a maintenance procedure collapsed and killed four 1 workers. Crane accidents can be likened to airline crashes in that they are seemingly random. Yet when a crane accident takes place, the impact is often enormous in terms of property damage and loss of life. The studying of crane accidents as a group reveals systemic problems. A University of Tennessee study of accidents from 1997 through 2003, funded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and published in the September 2006 issue of the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, found that workers being struck by loads or cranes was the prime 1 ENR:Engineering News Record; 8/25/2008, Vol. 261 Issue 6, p40-46
Pandemic of Crane Accidents 4 2 reason for crane fatalities, followed by electrocutions from booms touching power lines. A NIOSH study has revealed that construction laborers and various other trades working under or near cranes were the bulk of deaths rather than the crane operator. This fact has raised awareness that training cannot simply be limited to the crane operator. The increased frequency 3 and notoriety of these crane accidents has public officials calling for increased regulation. To better understand the causes of these accidents, a review of investigative facts is in order. The investigation into the March 15, 2008 tower crane incident revealed in a report prepared by Arup for New York City s Building Department that master rigger William Rapetti failed to follow the manufacturer s instructions by using four fewer attachment points than specified by the manufacturer while rigging a section of the Favelle Favco M440E tower crane. One nylon 4 sling was found to be damaged and it was determined that all slings were rigged improperly. This accident was complicated by the discovery that New York City crane inspector Edward J. Marquette falsely reported that he had inspected the crane 11 days prior to the collapse after 5 receiving a complaint that the crane looked unsafely anchored to the building. The investigation is still open in the March 25, 2008 Miami crane incident in which a 20 section of the tower crane was being hoisted to increase the tower height. The section fell almost 30 stories from a condominium project crashing into a house below and killing an insurance company safety inspector. A 21 year old employee on site became a fatality shortly after the incident occurred. 2 ENR: Engineering News-Record; 8/25/2008, Vol. 261 Issue 6, p40-46 3 Id. 4 ENR: Engineering News-Record; 3/23/2009, Vol. 262 Issue 9, p20 5 ENR: Engineering News-Record; 3/31/2008 Vol. 260 Issue 11
Pandemic of Crane Accidents 5 On May 30, 2008 in New York s Upper East Side a vintage Kodiac crane collapsed and claimed two lives. The investigation thus far points to a faulty weld at the turntable. The owner of the crane, New York Crane, replaced the turntable in 2007 after it was allegedly damaged by a lightning strike. Approximately a year before the Kodiac tower crane collapsed, Chinese based RTR Bearing Co. sent an e mail to New York Crane saying We don t have confidence on this welding, referring to a custom bearing assembly the crane owner had ordered. New York Crane asked RTR to perform the job anyway according to court papers filed. There is continuing controversy and lawsuits revolving around this issue. Thus, it cannot be determined at this time 6 what was the root cause of this accident On July 18, 2008, a Versa TC 36000 crane preparing to lift 2 million pounds to perform a maintenance procedure at the Lyondell Bassell Refinery collapsed claiming the lives of four workers. According to OSHA officials, the operator was a seasoned operator of large cranes, but had never been at the controls of the TC 36000. OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs said not only was the operator inadequately trained, but the project superintendent did not ensure the crane did not reach hazardous conditions. If OSHA s regulations and industry standards had been followed, it is possible this tragedy could have been prevented. The crane was operated by Deep 7 South Crane and Rigging, a Louisiana based firm. The fact that these crane accidents have happened within the past year, investigations are on going and will most likely continue for several years due to the amount of property damage incurred and the loss of life. In all of these accidents, human error is a commonality leading to or contributing to the cause of 6 ENR: Engineering New-Record; 4/20/2009, Vol. 262 Issue 13, p14 7 www.chron.com/cda/archives
Pandemic of Crane Accidents 6 the accidents. The mechanical failure of the May 30, 2008 accident could be attributed to human error as it relate to the decision making process regarding equipment maintenance and repair. The tremendous pressure from owners placed on contractors trying to meet deadlines to escape the impending downturn in economic activity may have played a critical role in the three tower crane incidents. This pressure is normal from an upper management perspective watching the bottom line, but invariably creates a mentality in the field supervision ranks that shortcuts have to be taken in order to meet management demands. Budget constraints often hinder the hiring of qualified personnel. Hard driving production quotas prohibit the supervisory or management personnel from setting aside the necessary time to ensure that all personnel receive the appropriate training for their assigned tasks. A natural conflict has always existed in the industry when it comes to having qualified personnel and finding the appropriate place to build seat time behind the controls for up and coming operators. This dilemma puts the onus on industry to provide more training opportunities to increase the qualified pool of operators. In just ten years, the number of cranes tripled in population due to the building boom. No revision has been made to OSHA s Crane and Derrick standard, which was originally published in 1970, since 1988. The construction industry has gone through dramatic changes during that time period in terms of equipment configuration and industry demands. In July of 2008, nine Senate Democrats sent a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao urging her to issue new safety standards for cranes and derricks. 8 In 2003, OSHA formed a Crane and Derrick Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee of representatives from industry, labor, and government. The committee reached a consensus for regulatory language in 2004. In September of 2008, OSHA published the proposed rule for public comment and set a December 8 Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition) New York, NY July 25, 2008 pg. A3
Pandemic of Crane Accidents 7 deadline for closing of comments. The election of President Obama with the Democratic Party and a change in the political makeup of congress coupled with a memo put out by the Bush Administration in May of 2008 instructing Federal Agencies that public comment to be wrapped up by November could be perceived as the reason for the derailment of the rulemaking process. At this time there is still no new rule for cranes and derricks. The United States is experiencing a pivotal shift now that it has a new president and congress as it relates to health and safety priorities. This is evidenced by the current debate on healthcare. The many varied interests are speaking forcefully to establish their beliefs and views on how best to accomplish the objective of providing a safer atmosphere for society. The concept is most of the time a great idea, but it quickly evolves into a sobering process when the discussion turns to the cost to implement. Such is the case with the slow rulemaking process for a new crane and derrick standard. Leadership from the industry must team with government in order to promulgate a revised standard to help protect the lives of innocent victims. While accidents will continue due to human error, history has shown that the regulations established in the past have had a major impact on the reduction of fatalities in the construction industry. It becomes evident when analyzing the history of construction achievement in this country that regulations must be passed in order to facilitate the type of behavior required to eliminate unnecessary loss of life or serious injury. Potential solutions recommended are as follows: (1) Establish crane operator certifications nationwide to meet specific professional criteria (2) Place legal authority for the crane operator to dictate when to operate (3) Place mandatory training requirements for all personnel involved with crane operations.