Cranes Inspection Protocol is Changed
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The commissioner of the Department of Buildings, Patricia Lancaster, announced additional changes yesterday to the department’s protocol for inspecting tower cranes, the type which collapsed on March 15.
Crane inspectors must now be on site whenever a construction crane is being extended into the air. Such an extension was under way when a crane collapsed on East 51st Street and Second Avenue, killing seven and causing millions of dollars in property damage.
“While the tragic accident on March 15 was a rare occurrence, we are expanding oversight of cranes as a precautionary measure while we await the findings of our forensic investigation,” Ms. Lancaster said.
The Department of Buildings is still inspecting the approximately 30 tower cranes in the city in response to the accident; it expects to finish the inspections by April 15. Since the accident, the department has not allowed any new jumping operations to occur.
