BY GABE HERMAN
The company involved in two
recent crane accidents Downtown
has been fi ned, plus had
all its work at nearly two dozen projects
around the city halted by the Department
of Buildings, the agency announced
this month.
D.O.B. found United Crane and Rigging
to be responsible for a July 30
crane accident at 749 F.D.R. Drive, at
E. Seventh, in the Jacob Riis Houses, a
New York City Housing Authority development.
The agency’s investigation
found that the crane operator lifted a
load of steel beams weighing more than
4,400 pounds. The crane’s permitted
lifting capacity, though, was only 3,700
pounds. The excessive load led to the
crane’s boom bending and partially collapsing,
the department said.
The boom’s collapse caused the operator
to lose control of the steel load,
which was being lifted to the top of the
building. Instead, the massive pile of
beams struck the building’s roof and
side, then went hurtling to the ground.
Part of the building had to be evacuated.
D.O.B. issued fi ve violations, totaling
$110,000 in fi nes, against United
After L.E.S.
crane fail, city
stops co.’s work
BY GABE HERMAN
The company involved
in two
recent crane accidents
Downtown has
been fi ned, plus had all its
work at nearly two dozen
projects around the city
halted by the Department
of Buildings, the agency
announced this month.
D.O.B. found United
Crane and Rigging to
be responsible for a July
30 crane accident at 749
F.D.R. Drive, at E. Seventh,
in the Jacob Riis
Houses, a New York City
Housing Authority development.
The agency’s investigation
found that the
crane operator lifted a load
of steel beams weighing
more than 4,400 pounds.
The crane’s permitted lifting
capacity, though, was
COURTESY F.D.NY./TWITTER
A crane that collapsed
on July 30 in
the Jacob Riis Houses
was left hanging
in a bent-over position,
above.
only 3,700 pounds. The
excessive load led to the crane’s boom bending and
partially collapsing, the department said.
The boom’s collapse caused the operator to lose
control of the steel load, which was being lifted to
the top of the building. Instead, the massive pile of
beams struck the building’s roof and side, then went
hurtling to the ground. Part of the building had to
be evacuated.
D.O.B. issued fi ve violations, totaling $110,000 in
fi nes, against United Crane and Rigging.
The violations include failure to designate a qualifi
ed and competent lift director, failure to make
proper notifi cations to D.O.B. about work being
performed, inadequate safety measures on the site,
failure to safeguard the site to protect workers and
public, and failure to have construction documents
on site.
The same company, United, based in Long Island
City, was also involved in a fatal April 13 accident
across town in Hudson Square at 570 Broome St.,
between Varick and Hudson Sts. In that earlier incident,
the counterweight of a crane being assembled
under United’s supervision fell to the ground
and killed a worker. That accident remains under
investigation, and further enforcement action might
eventually be taken, D.O.B. said.
An agency letter was also sent to United, detailing
the company’s 22 construction sites in the city that
must be shut down for the time being. United also
must install an independent monitor, who will give
monthly reports to D.O.B. about compliance.
In addition, the letter, from Ashraf Omran, executive
director of the D.O.B. Cranes and Derricks Unit,
ordered specifi c job positions at each site, where applicable,
to be replaced.
The positions include an engineer of record, master
rigger, lift director, assembly and disassembly
director, and hoisting machine operator.
Schneps Media TVG August 29, 2019 9