Many job-site accidents result from either a lack of training or equipment failure. Be proactive in protecting your people and equipment. Sign up for training or schedule your next inspection with Cranes101. But first, read the April 2024 accidents.
Florida crane collapse kills construction worker
This article was originally published on April 4,2024 on The BBC World News.
One person was killed and three others were injured after part of a crane fell from a building in the US city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Crews were in the process of increasing the crane’s height when a section of it came loose, officials said.
Pictures from the scene show the huge metal structure fell onto a car that was driving across a bridge, crushing the front of it.
A construction worker died after falling with the crane section.
Two of those injured were taken to hospital while a third was treated at the scene.
Officials said the collapse happened around 16:30 local time on Thursday.
At a news conference, they said a construction crew working on a high-rise was in the process of “stepping the crane” by adding sections to it to make it taller when a platform fell from the building, along with pieces of the crane.
They added that the crane itself remained attached to the building.
Officials did not name the victims, including the construction worker who died.
One driver told a NBC network that his car was damaged from the falling crane piece, which had bounced off his car and landed on the vehicle next to him.
“I was driving and I felt a compression, and I looked up and I saw the blue structure coming down, and I slammed on my brakes,” Mark Cerezie told NBC 6.
“I’m very lucky to be alive,” he added.
Another woman who lives nearby told the network that the screams heard from the construction workers at the time of the collapse were “unsettling”.
Officials say they do not yet know what caused the crane piece to fall, and have closed the Southeast 3rd Avenue bridge indefinitely as they investigate around the site of the incident.
The crane section left a hole in the bridge, with city officials advising drivers to avoid the area until it is reopened.
The New River, which runs underneath it, has also been closed to marine traffic.
Arborist thrown from platform
This article is reprinted from Vertikal.net published on April 12, 2024.
A man died last week after falling from a truck mounted platform/bucket truck, while trimming trees in Colonial Heights, Virginia – South of Richmond, USA.
The man, Charles Sloan, 47, was the owner and operator of Tip Top Tree Service and was trimming a large tree at a private residence last Thursday April 4th. He was working at a height of around 15 to 17 metres and seems to have been using the unapproved technique of tying the tree limb to the platform and then cutting it free, thus preventing it falling to the ground by catching it with the lift.
However, in this case when the rope tightened, the dynamic load broke it, causing a whiplash effect on the boom and platform, catapulting the man out of the platform. Clearly he was not wearing an attached harness at the time.
Sloan was declared dead at the scene. OSHA was notified and has launched an investigation.
A tribute was posted to his memory which included the following words: ”Charles ‘Chucky Bill’ Sloan, Jr., age 47, passed away tragically in a work-related accident. He is survived by his wife, Talina Michelle Sloan, he is also the father of Peyton and Shae Sloan, and stepsons, Jacob, Justin and Jonathan Leitch. Sloan was loved by many who knew him and made an impact on their lives, including his Benny’s Tavern poker family, who were very special to him. He would do anything for others in a heartbeat. He will be greatly missed.”
Portion of I-840 will remain closed for 3 months after excavator hits bridge
This article is reprinted from WKRN, originally published on April 16, 2024.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A portion of Interstate 840 in Williamson County will likely remain closed for months after an excavator struck bridge supports under the roadway Tuesday.
The incident happened on Tuesday, April 16, around 11 a.m. near the Columbia Avenue exit of I-840 East at mile-marker 28.
According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, an excavator was working on train tracks below the interstate when it hit the bridge’s support beams at the Sedberry overpass.
On Tuesday, the eastbound lanes of the interstate were closed and traffic was diverted to Exit 23/Carters Creek Pike/TN HWY 46.
According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the repairs to the bridge will likely take three months. After TDOT crews examined the bridge, they determined the untouched portion of the bridge was still safe to cross, but the right lane of the road would remain closed until the necessary repairs can be made.
During the early morning hours on Wednesday, April 17, TDOT installed a lane restriction, allowing for the left lane & left shoulder to be open for traffic flow. One lane of travel is expected to remain open throughout the closure, according to TDOT. Some short-term, temporary full closures on the bridge may be required during the work, they added. Bell Construction and CSX will work with TDOT for the months-long repair project.
“TDOT is doing all it can to make the necessary repairs as safety and as quickly as possible while limiting the impact on traffic,” the department said in a statement.
Updates can be found online through the TDOT SmartWay map.
If you see an accident report you’d like us to feature in the blog, like the ones shown here in the April 2024 Accidents Reports, let us know. Contact heather@cranes101.com with the information.