Failed Crane Operator Training Led To Fatal Accident, OSHRC Finds

A construction company’s failure to adequately train its employees led to the deaths of four workers when a crane toppled over, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruled Aug. 27, affirming a decision and $40,000 penalty from an administrative law judge (Secretary of Labor v. Deep South Crane & Rigging Co.).

The key factor in the commission’s ruling was its conclusion that the employer, Deep South Crane & Rigging Co., did not properly follow the guidelines in Sec. 5-3.1.2 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering’s Safety Standard for Cableways, Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Hooks, Jacks, and Slings, ...