Council Considers Measures To Safeguard City's Cranes

In the wake of two deadly crane collapses in the past five months, the City Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings is considering legislation that would overhaul the training and inspection policies related to cranes and construction sites in the city.

Most notably, the legislation would mandate that workers engaged in the extension or dismantling of cranes complete an initial 30-hour training course and an eight-hour recertification course every three years.

"It is long overdue," the city's acting buildings commissioner, Robert LiMandri, said yesterday during a council hearing at City Hall, noting that New York has no set training standards for people who build and dismantle cranes on construction sites. The legislation would also call for engineers of record to be named to inspect cranes for relevant safety requirements before use.

Mr. LiMandri disclosed yesterday that a crane at a construction site at 123 Washington St. failed inspection and was shut down following the most recent crane collapse on May 30, which killed two construction workers.

The president of New York's Alliance of Union Contractors, Louis Coletti, said the inspection measures that have been proposed need to be amended because they would ask engineers to perform tasks that beyond their expertise.

The committee also heard testimony on legislation that would increase the amount of inspections and oversight given to the Department of Buildings regarding private contractors and building owners.