What Were the Causes of the Miami Crane Collapse?

Operational cranes are necessary to construct a high-rise building.

Introduction

A crane collapsed in Miami, Florida, on March 25, 2008, causing a 20-foot section to fall 30 stories and land on a supply house. Two construction workers died and five construction workers were injured. "It appears that a section of crane being raised by Morrow Equipment, a subcontractor to Baker Concrete, became disengaged during a lift," said Mary Costello, a senior vice president for Bovis Lease Holdings Inc., which managed the construction site where the incident occurred.

Causes

• The 7-ton operational crane was used to construct a 46-story, high-rise building. Dan Sielicki, the risk manager for Baker Construction, affirmed the crane collapsed due to "jumping" the crane, or adding sections to extend the crane's reach. The extended section became unstable and fell. Sections are added to give the crane more height for laborers to work. Crane extension is necessary for constructing high-rise buildings.

  Factors

  • Adding more sections to a crane is not safe during precarious weather conditions. Windy conditions canceled the first attempt to jump the crane initially scheduled for March 21. The wind decreased during the afternoon of March 25, and the Morrow Equipment Co. decided the conditions "were adequate for them to jump the crane." During this time the crane collapsed. "It costs big money not to use a crane - the whole job shuts down. Supervision was probably pushing them to get the crane up there," said Thomas Barth, owner of a South Carolina crane inspection company. Shortly after the crane collapsed, a Miami-Dade ordinance became effective on Jan. 1, 2009. The ordinance requires crane companies to follow the equipment specifications and the wind-load standards, outlined within the Structural Engineering Institute for construction sites located in high-velocity hurricane zones.

    Regulation

    • At the time of the collapse, Florida did not license or regulate crane operation. As of Nov. 8, 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), revised the rules and practices that regulate operational cranes. The OSHA Regulation 29 CFR Part 1926 revised Industry work practices necessary to protect employees during the use of cranes and derricks in construction. The rule further addresses the qualifications for employees to safely operate the machines.

      Considerations

      • A report released in 2008 by the Center for Construction Research and Training confirmed more construction laborers were killed in crane-related incidents than in any other trade. The report ranked crane collapse as the fourth leading cause of death on a construction site.

        
        

        References

        • Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health: Understanding Crane Accident Failures
        • EHS Today; Miami Crane Collapse Kills 2, Injures 5
        • The Militant; Miami Crane Collapse Highlights Unsafe Construction Conditions
        • OSHA; Department of Labor