Crane Tips Over at Long Island Construction Site Causing Injury

At least one person was injured in a construction site accident near a Long Island hospital after a crane tipped over. According to a news report in The Associated Press, the incident occurred near a worksite at Winthrop University Hospital on Mineola Avenue. The crane operator was treated for a non-life-threatening head injury. Police said no one else was injured. Officials said part of the crane’s cab came to rest against the building, which was under construction. Police say the construction site was part of the new research facility at the hospital. Fire officials and representatives from Bay Crane were evaluating the cause of the accident.

Crane Accident Causes and Statistics
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), some of the major causes of all accidents involving cranes include contact with power lines, overturns, falls and mechanical failures. OSHA states that use of cranes during lifting operations caused 8 percent of all fatal construction accidents from 1991 to 2002.
Many crane accidents also occur each year due to factors other than those mentioned above, resulting in injuries and damage to equipment and property. A three-year study completed by OSHA in California in 1997 found that the majority of crane accidents are non-fatal. Also, the majority of those injured in crane-related accidents are not crane operators, but other construction workers such as ironworkers, carpenters, riggers, etc.
Preventing Crane Accidents
There are several steps contractors and construction companies can take to prevent crane accidents:
• First, make a thorough assessment of construction sites for the potential for crane accidents.
• Make sure that the site is adequately prepared for lifting operations and that hazards such as power lines and underground pipelines have been identified.
• Establish a crane safety plan for each lift. Make people on site accountable for following the plan. Assign a competent person to oversee crane operations. This individual must have the authority to stop unsafe operations.
• All personnel involved must be properly trained in lifting operations.
Compensation for Injured Workers
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York in 2010. Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: The Associated Press