Construction Site Safety: DOB Report Cites Misuse of Slings and Rigging as having Caused Collapse

Steve Lombardi

Attorney
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The March 2008 East Side tower crane collapse that killed seven people was caused by a misuse of the sling and other errors of rigging, by the City of New York’s Buildings Commissioner. The City report has 41 recommendations. The building permit remains revoked. This construction project is to build a 43-story apartment tower. The collapse damaged several surrounding buildings along with killing the 7 people. Follow the link to read the entire story. The DOB’s press release is quite detailed and fully explains the Commissioner’s findings. The full report is 339 pages (20.5 MB) and can be obtained online. See 51^st Street Crane Investigation.

“Based on this comprehensive review, the investigation concluded the collapse was caused by a number of critical errors, including:

• Four synthetic slings were used instead of the required eight chain blocks specified by the manufacturer to support the 11,279-pound steel collar;

• One of the slings used to support the collar had prior physical damage;

• Slings were not attached at the collar points specified by the manufacturer;

• Slings were attached to the mast in a way that compromised their capacity; and

• Padding for the slings at the mast’s sharp edges was not provided.

Arup’s investigation concluded that the tower crane installation design met industry standards and was not a cause of the crane collapse. In addition, Arup found that the DOB crane inspection and permitting protocols would not have identified the rigging errors that caused the collapse.”

The accident has resulted in the district attorney’s office filing charges against the crane rigger and the company. Those charges include manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and reckless endangerment.

“In recent weeks, DOB inspectors performed inspections of all tower cranes undergoing jumps. The inspectors found that all 18 were in compliance with new crane safety laws enacted since the March ’08 collapse, according to a release.”

This crane had the height extended. Specifically the DOB found the failure of a synthetic webbing that had previously been damaged, which is stated to have allowed the collar to fall.

"The collapse of the tower was initiated when the polyester web slings supporting a steel collar at the 18th floor level failed, allowing the collar to fall," according to the DOB report.