N.Y. City Officials Tell Congress They're Tightening Crane Safety
East News • June 26, 2008
New York City officials told Congress this week that they are tightening requirements on tower construction cranes after a spate of recent accidents there, as well as others in Las Vegas and ...
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Subject: Crane Safety
Posted On: June 26, 2008, 1:28 pm CDT
Posted By: A Toland
Comment:
Dear Mr. Barrett:
I have been a Crane Underwriter for many years in the insurance business. What
happened to these tower cranes? The tower
crane used to be installed and cemented into the ground in the middle of the building and work was started, when the job was completed the construction workers took the crane down piece by piece and finished the building. Since when is it acceptable to have a "tower crane hanging off the side of the buildings", in the middle of Manhatten? I think it is probably a cost issue, less expensive to put the crane on the outside of the building instead of inside the building.
If individual New Yorker's are telling the
City of New York that the cranes are not secured to the buildings, who's fault is that if the crane comes down? Education of the crane operators is the key to these huge accidents, the newspapers tell us that they are paying off the individuals who are giving the tests for the licenses.
The City of New York has to keep on top of this! It was evident to me when I saw the
cranes that they were not secured to the building like they should have been!
More inspectors are needed and the crane operators must understand that the crane has a maximum lifting capacity, on newer cranes the pounds are computerized, the crane operator will go to managaement and tell them this! It is managements' decision if the lift should continue. Crane operators are afraid that if they don't comply with managements' request, they will fire them! These operators are
risking their lives by exceeding the manufactures lifiting capacity of the crane.
In both large losses on the Tower cranes just recently. The operators were both killed along with several other people.
Thank you for allowing me to say what is needed to be said!
A Toland
Subject: Crane Safety
I have been a Crane Underwriter for many years in the insurance business. What
happened to these tower cranes? The tower
crane used to be installed and cemented into the ground in the middle of the building and work was started, when the job was completed the construction workers took the crane down piece by piece and finished the building. Since when is it acceptable to have a "tower crane hanging off the side of the buildings", in the middle of Manhatten? I think it is probably a cost issue, less expensive to put the crane on the outside of the building instead of inside the building.
If individual New Yorker's are telling the
City of New York that the cranes are not secured to the buildings, who's fault is that if the crane comes down? Education of the crane operators is the key to these huge accidents, the newspapers tell us that they are paying off the individuals who are giving the tests for the licenses.
The City of New York has to keep on top of this! It was evident to me when I saw the
cranes that they were not secured to the building like they should have been!
More inspectors are needed and the crane operators must understand that the crane has a maximum lifting capacity, on newer cranes the pounds are computerized, the crane operator will go to managaement and tell them this! It is managements' decision if the lift should continue. Crane operators are afraid that if they don't comply with managements' request, they will fire them! These operators are
risking their lives by exceeding the manufactures lifiting capacity of the crane.
In both large losses on the Tower cranes just recently. The operators were both killed along with several other people.
Thank you for allowing me to say what is needed to be said!
A Toland