Transcript Slide 1

Crane-Related Deaths and Injuries
in Construction, 1992 - 2006
Michael McCann, PhD, CIH
Janie Gittleman, PhD, MRP
Mary Watters
Regulatory Overview
On July 9, 2004, the Federal Advisory
Committee on cranes and derricks (C-DAC)
reached a consensus for a new crane and
derricks standard.
In May 2008, as part of its semiannual regulatory
agenda, OSHA mentioned plans to publish a
notice of proposed rulemaking on cranes and
derricks in the August 2008 Federal Register.
Selected Fatal Crane Incidents
Crane lifting bucket of cement collapsed onto scaffold inside
cooling tower. Willow Island, WV. 4/27/78
51 construction workers died
Tower crane fell 16 stories while being jumped. San
Francisco, CA. 11/29/89
4 construction workers died
1 bystander died
22 bystanders injured
Selected Fatal Crane
Incidents (cont.)
“Big Blue” mobile crane collapsed hitting 3 workers in crane basket.
Winds 25-30 mph. Milwaukee, WI. 11/14/99
3 construction workers died
4-ton chunk of steel fell from crane crushing a taxi. New York, NY.
9/29/06
5 bystanders injured
Selected Fatal Crane
Incidents (cont.)
Crane collapsed on a condo. Bellevue, WA. 11/16/06
1 bystander died
1 construction worker injured
Tower crane collapsed while being jumped, damaging several
buildings. New York, NY. 3/15/08
6 construction workers died
1 bystander died
13 construction workers injured
11 first responders injured
Selected Fatal Crane
Incidents (cont.)
20-foot section crane fell 30 stories while jumping the crane.
Miami, FL. 3/25/08
2 construction workers died
5 construction workers injured
Crane cab, boom, and machine deck separated from the
tower mast and collapsed onto the street. New York, NY.
5/30/08
2 construction workers died
1 construction worker injured
1 bystander injured
Crane-Related Deaths in
Construction, 1992-2006
323 crane-related deaths from 307 incidents in
construction from 1992-2006
12 multiple-death incidents involving a total of
28 deaths
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
Research File
Crane-Related Deaths in
Construction by Year, 1992-2006
40
No. of deaths
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Year of death
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
Research File
Causes of Crane-Related Deaths in
Construction, 1992-2006
102
Contact with overhead power lines
Collapsing cranes
68
59
Cause
Struck by booms/jibs*
24
Struck by crane load
Total deaths:
21
Caught in/between
323
18
Struck by crane
31
Other causes**
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
% of deaths
* 52 of 59 struck by booms/jibs were due to falling booms/jibs
** Other causes includes 14 struck by other crane parts and 9 highway
incidents.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries Research File
Types of Cranes Involved
in Fatalities
Mobile cranes
 Tower cranes
 Floating or barge cranes
 Overhead cranes

Types of Cranes Involved:
Mobile Cranes
71% of all crane-related incidents involved
mobile cranes
Mobile cranes were involved in:
 80 of 95 (84%) of overhead
power line incidents
 37 of 59 (63%) of crane
collapses
 35 of 59 (60%) of struck by
boom/jib incidents
Types of Cranes Involved:
Tower Cranes
Tower cranes were
involved in:
16 of 306 (5%) of all
crane related incidents
 5 of 24 (21%) of struck by
crane load incidents
 5 of 59 (8%) of struck by
boom/jib deaths

Types of Cranes Involved:
Other/unspecified cranes
Other/unspecified cranes were involved in
24% of all crane related incidents, including:
13 floating or barge crane incidents
 12 overhead crane incidents

Main Causes of Worker
Deaths, by Frequency
Electrocutions – from overhead power lines
 Crane collapse
 Struck by falling boom/jib
 Struck by crane load

Why Workers Died:
Overhead Power Line Electrocutions
11%
Other
19%
Worker on foot
touching crane
39%
Worker on foot
touching/ guiding
load cables
31%
Operating
crane
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries Research File
1992 - 2006
Number of Deaths: 102
Why Workers Died:
Crane Collapses
Crane
load/
boom
shifted
16%
Overloaded
20%
Uneven/
unstable or
icy surface
1992 - 2006
8%
56%
Other/
unknown
causes
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries Research File
Number of Collapses: 61
Number of Deaths: 68
Why Workers Died:
Struck by Falling Booms/Jibs
Lengthening
Boom
12%
40%
Other
1992 - 2006
48%
Dismantling
Boom
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries Research File
Number of Deaths: 52
Why Workers Died:
Struck By Crane Loads
21%
Crane-related
work
41%
Loading/
unloading
38%
Worker not involved
with crane
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries Research File
1992 - 2006
Number of Deaths: 24
Trades of Workers Who Died
Crane-Related Deaths in Construction, 1992-2006
Construction laborers
Heavy equipment operators*
Supervisors/ Managers/ Admin
Ironworkers
Total Deaths: 323
Mechanics
Other trades**
* Includes 50 crane and tower operators and 14 operating engineers
** Includes 14 carpenters, 11 electrical workers, 8 truck drivers, and 7 welders and cutters.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Research File
Recommendations

Crane operators should be certified.

Presently only 15 states and a few cities (including New
York City and Chicago) require certification.

Crane riggers and signalpersons should be
certified.

Crane inspectors should be certified.

OSHA only requires that they be competent persons
Recommendations (cont.)

Cranes should be inspected after assembly
or modification.

Only trained workers under the supervision
of a qualified person and competent person
should assemble or disassemble cranes.

Crane loads should not be allowed to pass
over street traffic.
Recommendations (cont.)

OSHA should conduct more thorough
investigations of crane-related fatalities and
capture more complete data in its reporting
system.

OSHA should immediately take action on the
proposed consensus crane and derrick standard
for construction and include recommendations
from this report.
For Further Information

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Mike McCann: [email protected]
Janie Gittleman: [email protected]
Mary Watters: [email protected]
Electronic Library of Construction Safety and
Health (eLCOSH): www.elcosh.org
CPWR – The Center for Construction Research
and Training: www.cpwr.com
CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training – is the research arm of
the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO. This research was funded
as part of a grant with CPWR from the National Institute for occupational Safety and
Health, NIOSH (NIOSH Grant 1 U54OH008307). The research is solely the
responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of
NIOSH.