After three partial collapses of construction cranes during Hurricane Irma, officials are debating whether regulations should be tightened.
Two crane booms in Miami and one in Ft. Lauderdale collapsed during the storm, with no injuries reported. The equipment was supposed to be able to withstand 145 mph winds, but the highest gusts recorded in the area were 100 mph.
Any initiative to impose tougher regulations on cranes would be complex, with federal, state, and local authorities all having a hand in rulemaking and oversight. Cranes are regulated by the federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Florida statute preempts cities from enforcing laws regulating cranes, but Miami does enforce codes and regulations on the construction and maintenance of buildings. The multiple authorities have some overlap when it comes to construction cranes, at least in theory.
Industry trade groups warn that new regulations should wait until more is known about what caused the collapses. All of the collapses occurred where cranes were set up at 300 feet high or higher, and there is limited data on wind speeds at those heights during the hurricane.
Related Stories
| Oct 25, 2012
Philadelphia councilmen move to crack down on contractors working without licenses, permits
Two Philadelphia city councilmen are trying to crack down on the "underground economy" of developers and contractors who work without licenses and permits, pay cash under the table, and operate unsafe job sites.
| Oct 25, 2012
OSHA and NIOSH offer Spanish version of nail gun safety document
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have made available a Spanish version of “Nail Gun Safety - A Guide for Construction Contractors.”
| Oct 25, 2012
AGC holding webinar on sequestration’s potential impacts on the construction industry
AGC will hold a free webinar on sequestration and its potential impact on federal construction contractors on Nov. 7.
| Oct 25, 2012
Nashville providing incentives for green roofs
The city of Nashville, Tenn., is promoting the installation of green roofs through a measure providing a $10 reduction in a property's sewer fees for every square foot of vegetative roof.
| Oct 25, 2012
Net Zero buildings will use operating systems like computers to save energy
As buildings become more efficient and begin to use distributed electricity generation, they will need to become “smarter,” using operating systems much as a computer does.
| Oct 18, 2012
Princeton, N.J. residents upset over proposal to exempt colleges from land use laws
Princeton, N.J. residents criticized proposed legislation that would exempt private colleges and universities from following local land use laws for construction projects.
| Oct 18, 2012
Utah contracting firm challenges state immigration law
Universal Contracting LLC of American Fork, Utah, has filed suit challenging the constitutionality of Utah’s 2011 immigration law.
| Oct 18, 2012
More than 65,000 construction, design jobs may be cut if sequestration takes place
About $2 billion worth of construction and design projects would be eliminated if scheduled federal budget cuts, referred to as sequestration, take effect on Jan. 2, 2013.
| Oct 18, 2012
OSHA investigating parking garage collapse that kills four at Doral, Fla. college
OSHA is investigating the collapse of a five-story concrete parking garage under construction at Miami Dade College West Campus in Doral, Fla. that killed four workers and injured several others.
| Oct 18, 2012
EPA commercial building lead paint rule pushed back to 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's inclusion of commercial buildings in a residential lead paint rule is being delayed until 2015.