Construction Expert Witness Discusses Crane Accident

Construction sites can create dangerous work environments, although there are very strict safety precautions that must be enforced to reduce the risk of injury. I have extensive experience working with cranes on construction sites and am familiar with the OSHA safety standards, the Regulatory Agenda, Federal Registers, directives, and standard interpretations that apply when working with these machines. Crane operators undergo extensive safety training and should be very aware of all individuals who are on the construction site. When transporting heavy loads, there should be no individual located within close proximity of the “swing radius” and absolutely no individuals located under the path of the crane’s load. Additionally, the operator is required to inspect the crane’s wire rope for signs of abnormalities. These include broken wires, loss of individual wire diameter, kinks, crushing, stretching, and bird caging. Inspection of the hook latch and load chain are also pertinent to maintaining safe operation.