Crane Accident Kills 4

[sinkingfeeling]

Source: Local Houston News Station

HOUSTON -- A crane collapse killed four people at an east Houston refinery Friday afternoon, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Officials said a large, industrial crane fell over at the Lyondell-Citgo refinery on Lawndale Street at Highway 225 shortly before 2 p.m.

A company spokesman said four victims died and six others were injured.

A test was performed on the crane a couple of days ago in which it safely picked up 800,000 pounds. The equipment can pick up 1 million pounds, according to authorities.

Read more: http://www.click2houston.com/news/16923540/detail.html

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How many crane accidents does this make this year?

[Omaha Steve]

1. Proposed NEW crane regulations from 4 years ago are still on hold

This administration doesn't care if you die at work, war, etc... But please don't kill an unwanted unborn that will live many years with an abusive parent or worse.

[tanyev]

9. Heck, they don't even want anyone to prevent an egg from having the possibility of being fertilized.

[bbernardini]

2. Isn't that interesting...

That's the employer of one of the local right-wing global warming denying nutjobs who always writes uninformed letters to the editor.

[DLnyc]

3. Interesting. They started using these new "tower" cranes about a year ago in

New York City. These cranes are anchored to the building, have a very small footprint at the base, and are designed, apparently, to be 'jumped' (i.e. extended in place by adding a segment, without removing the cab from the top) as the building gets taller. Any fool could see they are going to be less reliable and less stable than the old, single piece cranes mounted on huge tractors with very large footprints at the base (usually on a surface of 1 foot by 1 foot timbers).

Big surprise, two of them have toppled this year in NYC, killing 9 people.

Who got paid what for this crap?

[pasto76]

5. Kangaroo cranes and such

cranes that jump themselves have been around for years - both the kind with the large superstructure, and the smaller profile ones.
The crawler mounted ones also collapse. Search youtube for "crane collapse".

[billyoc]

10. You've got your wires crosses somehow, those cranes are all I've ever used.

I'm a 20 year Ironworker. :hi:

[DLnyc]

11. In NYC?

I never saw any of these things in New York City until the last year or two.

[billyoc]

12. Yes.

[DemReadingDU]

13. my spouse is a retired Ironworker

:hi:

[dysfunctional press]

14. they've been doing that for years without much problem...

i was doing high-rise construction in chicago about 20 years ago, and that's how it was done back then as well.

i will say this- the ironworkers who did the jumping of the crane were some of the biggest drunks i ever saw.

because there's so much demand on the crane by all the various trades and subcontractors, they'd usually do the jumps at the end of the day, into the night...the crew of ironworkers who did the actual jumps would show up mid-morning and then head to the tavern until it was time to go to work.

but we never had any problems with the tower cranes that i can recall from any of the jobs i worked on...:shrug:

[WriteDown]

4. Most of the news worthy crane deaths....

have been the results of bribing the crane inspector. I fear nothing will ever stop this practice.

[tismyself]

6. you're probably right

I've been in the field so to speak for years, although on the research and design end. If the general public had any idea of the shenanigans behind the scenes, they probably wouldn't leave their house.

Oh lord, I bet I'm going to get roasted for saying that.

[buddysmellgood]

7. I've been watching the news for crane collapses since Big Blue went down in

Milwaukee. I don't know what has changed, but damn if they aren't dropping regularly.

[tismyself]

8. uh-huh

I've been thinking the same thing. Creepy.