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Carl Molesworth

Three Tower Cranes Shut Down in Seattle Area
June 6, 2008

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has taken action to halt operation of three Chinese-made construction tower cranes in the Seattle area.

Citing possible electrical and structural problems, L&I said it asked the general contractors to take the cranes out of service because of potential safety problems. All of the cranes in question were manufactured by the same company, Sun Cranes, and are the only such cranes erected in the state.

L&I has open investigations with Lewis Equipment Co. of Texas, the crane distributor, and the general contractors using the cranes: Lease Crutcher Lewis, with a crane at a construction site at Fifth Avenue and Yesler Way in Seattle; Turner Construction at a site at 1823 Terry Ave. in Seattle; and Lydig Construction at a site at 400 S. 43rd St. in Renton, Wash.

L&I said its action came after it received two reports from independent engineers that pointed out potential problems in the three cranes. The shutdown is coincidental and unrelated to a crane collapse last week in New York, L&I added.

In all three cranes, the electrical systems had not been evaluated and approved for use. A faulty electrical system can potentially lead to electrical fires, motor failures or electrical shocks – some of which, under certain circumstances, could cause an electrical failure that could result in loss of braking capacity. That, in turn, could result in a dropped load or other problems. An electrical maintenance worker on one of the cranes was badly burned in January.

Two of the cranes, the ones in downtown Seattle, had modifications that did not meet structural integrity assurances, L&I said. A portion of their towers, or “masts,” are from one manufacturer, and other portions are from another manufacturer.

An engineering analysis is currently under way to determine whether these hybrid cranes are structurally safe. Also, the electrical systems in all three cranes will be independently evaluated and certified before the cranes are returned to service.

L&I credited the Associated General Contractors of Washington and the general contractors involved for working cooperatively to inform the construction industry of the concerns about these cranes and to ensure that workers and the public are kept safe at all times.

“AGC and the affected contractors are working collaboratively with the Department of Labor and Industries to resolve the situation,” said AGC spokesman Jerry VanderWood. “AGC and its contractor members take safety seriously. All of the affected contractors have been recognized for their progressive safety programs. Lease Crutcher Lewis, Turner Construction and Lydig Construction are all members of the AGC Safety Team, a voluntary statewide program recognized by the Department of Labor and Industries. AGC Safety Team membership indicates the company has met or exceeded the established construction safety standards.”

AGC also clarified its role in this matter.

“The Department of Labor and Industries approached the AGC about concerns it has about these cranes,” said VanderWood. “L&I asked AGC to help the department disseminate the fact that they have concerns about these cranes to AGC members. We did so, calling a meeting on June 3 at which time L&I described the nature of their concerns to dozens of AGC members. Through this meeting AGC provided L&I with a mechanism to inform the construction community of the specific nature of their concerns regarding the cranes. At the same time the meeting provided AGC members the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification from L&I.”

Lydig Construction released a statement that read, in part:

“The concerns with the crane on our site do not include structural integrity concerns, but are limited to electrical certification concerns. Lydig Construction Inc. and our crane supplier, Lewis Equipment, are working cooperatively with the department to resolve all concerns.

“The safety of our workers, the public and our sites is of utmost importance to us, and we will not resume operation of the tower cranes until all issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both Lydig Construction and Labor and Industries.

“In the meantime, we have mobilized another crane and are continuing to maintain satisfactory progress on the project.”

Until next time …

Posted by Carl Molesworth on June 6, 2008 | Comments (0)