The Cause of Most Crane Accidents Probably Isn’t What You Think

A row of cranes outlined against the skyline at sunup or sundown can be a spectacular sight. Beyond a good photo op, construction is a good sign of prosperity and progress for a community. Cranes are equipped to carry large loads to construction sites in precarious places. The sheer size of the equipment required to construct a building successfully is a testament itself to human industry and ingenuity. But all that massive equipment is what can also make cranes so dangerous in the event that things go sideways.

What is a crane accident?

A crane accident is any event in which a large construction crane is involved in a catastrophe of any sort at a construction site. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created to make sure all workers are operating under safe and healthy conditions. In the construction industry, OSHA requires crane operators to be experts in proper crane handling and to update their knowledge and certification on a regular basis. They also maintain an extensive list of regulations and best practices for the crane and derrick industry. Nonetheless, accidents do happen, whether by user error, bad luck, or even forces of nature.

So-called “acts of God” are natural events like dense cloud cover, torrential rain, or strong winds. These conditions can pose particular problems for cranes, which are typically suspended high up in the sky, making them particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events or even severe heat waves.

What really causes most crane accidents?

Aside from the wind and weather, one of the primary causes of these incidents is often improper assembly. Workers build the cranes on-site, leaving the door open to a serious risk of human error. Take, for example, the world’s biggest and strongest crane: it’s a Belgian-made behemoth named Big Carl. It took 250 trucks a few months to transport Big Carl (in pieces) to its assignment. Like every super-sized crane, Big Carl was assembled only once it reached its destination: which just happened to be a construction site in England.

Even if the crane’s parts were manufactured properly, it still has to be installed properly. OSHA requires that a “qualified and competent person” must perform an initial inspection and then conduct a post-assembly inspection, followed by annual inspections going forward thereafter. Additional inspections are required at certain crucial times, such as when equipment has been repaired or modified or when equipment has been idle for three or more months. The company itself is required to manage and document the inspections, but OSHA does provide quite a few guidelines for enforcement and inspection – to the tune of more than 200 pages! Some notable recommendations include:

• Looking for visible indications that the equipment has been repaired
• Identifying any deficiencies in welded areas, including fractures in the weld and discoloration due to oxidization
• Inspecting all rigging equipment for any damage or wear-and-tear, using binoculars if needed
• Verifying that any lift plans are being followed properly
• Checking that adequate housekeeping of the site has been performed

If these guides are not followed, workers are more likely to get hurt.

So who gets hurt in a crane accident?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 297 crane-related deaths in its 2019 Fact Sheet, Fatal Occupational Injuries Involving Cranes. The BLS defines a crane-related death as “a fatality … where the primary or secondary source is a crane or the worker activity is operating the crane.” Transportation incidents and falls to a lower level made up a portion of incidents (13% and 14%, respectively – or about a quarter of all incidents). But over half of all accidents (or a total of 52%) involved a worker being struck by equipment or a falling object.

Falling objects can include parts of the crane itself, such as its mast (or tower), the motor, or the jib, which is that seemingly impossibly long arm that carries the load, or whatever is actually being lifted. Other unsecured equipment or debris may also become hazardous projectiles if the site is not properly maintained.

But other, perhaps more alarming crane accidents can be even more dangerous. A total crane collapse or a tip-over can result in grievous bodily harm. A worker may be crushed, thrown, or completely free fall for hundreds of feet. If the worker survives, they likely face serious injuries to include:

• Crushed or broken bones
• Traumatic amputation of a limb
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Severe internal hemorrhaging
• Major organ damage or outright failure

Some accidents even prove to be deadly. BLS data confirms that most crane-related deaths occurred on construction sites. This is not surprising, given that this is where cranes do the majority of their job after being in transit. Measured for the most fatal occupational injuries, construction workers as a whole represented the second largest group, following only truck drivers, who have the most deadly occupation on measure.

Have you been injured in a Reno crane accident?

If you have been injured in a work-related accident, you’re probably finding it hard, if not downright impossible, to go to work, much less physically and mentally do your job. Because of the severity of some of the most common crane injuries, you may be in ongoing treatment at the hospital, or in need of serious medical care and observation for the foreseeable future.

If you are an employee, you can seek workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits cover temporary wage loss (about two-thirds of your weekly salary) and all of your medical expenses, including the costs associated with getting to and from appointments, medications, therapies, and other associated costs. These benefits do more than cover your care while you’re out of work, however: they also cover the medical costs to keep your health stable. For example, if a crane accident causes you to lose a limb, your workers’ compensation benefits would cover the costs of any adaptive devices you need, such as prosthetics. If the device wears out, workers’ comp will cover a replacement.

You could also be entitled to:

• Permanent partial disability benefits, a set monetary award that can be paid out over time or in a lump sum if your injury is permanent but you can still work.
• Permanent total disability benefits, a monthly award paid out for the rest of your life if you are unable to work.

If your family member was an employee and dies on the job or as a result of injuries sustained on the job, you may be entitled to death benefits, which encompass funeral and burial expenses as well as monthly payments.

Our dedicated attorneys at Claggett & Sykes Law Firm in Reno, Nevada know how to advocate for workers’ compensation cases. With our many years of experience, we’ll field all the phone calls and paperwork so you can focus on getting back your health and working on what’s most important to you. Contact our work injury attorneys for a free case evaluation today. We maintain an additional office in Law Vegas.