Every year the construction industry tops the charts of most dangerous industries to work in when it comes to employees getting injured. Tens of thousands of construction workers are seriously injured at work-related accidents every year. Hundreds of construction workers suffer work-related fatalities every year. One of the significant accidents that can happen on a construction site involves crane accidents. Often, large construction sites will employ the use of massive cranes. You can see cranes on top of skyscrapers that are being built and on the job sites of large buildings. Because the cranes are so large, when there is an accident involving a crane, there can easily be fatalities. This piece will discuss the main causes of crane accidents, and how to prevent them.
Common Causes of Construction Site Crane Accidents
Most of the time, a crane is the largest piece of equipment on a construction job site. Even though it happens too often, crane accidents are usually preventable and relate to someone or some company failing to do their duty. When there is negligence that causes a crane incident and someone gets seriously hurt or even killed, the people who acted negligently should be held responsible. Most crane accidents are caused by:
- Attempting to lift loads that are unbalanced or improperly secured
- Cranes overturning due to too much weight or improperly balanced loads
- Defective or dangerous crane parts and material
- Improper mounting of the crane
- Inadequate equipment maintenance and inspection
- Lifting loads which exceed the weight limit of the crane
- Negligence by crane operator
- Negligent contact with an energized power line
- The collapse of crane platforms due to improper installation
Using large cranes on construction sites is inherently dangerous given how large and complex these machines are. This inherent danger is increased tenfold when the crane is being used at the top of skyscrapers several hundred feet in the air.
How to Prevent Crane Accidents?
The use of large cranes on construction sites is quite common and there are very detailed rules and regulations as to how they are to be used. Large cranes are one of the most highly regulated construction equipment there is and there are many requirements that have to be met before they are used. Despite this, there are still many dangerous crane accidents every year where people are seriously injured or even killed. Some crane accidents are not caused by some form of negligence, but these instances are small. For example, there have been some crane accidents caused by tornadoes or hurricane force winds that cannot be protected against. The most important way to prevent these accidents is to establish rules, regulations, and protocol for use of cranes, coupled with extensive training for crane operators and crane maintenance personnel.
The Pottstown Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Wusinich, Sweeney & Ryan, LLC Help Injured Construction Workers Get Workers’ Comp Benefits
If you have been seriously injured in a work-related construction accident, the workers’ comp insurance company is required to pay your medical bills and reimburse you for any lost wages. Our knowledgeable Pottstown Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Wusinich, Sweeney & Ryan, LLC have decades of experience in successfully representing injured workers. Call us today at 610-594-1600 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. With our offices located in Exton, Pennsylvania, we proudly serve all communities of Downingtown, West Chester, Exton, Coatesville, Phoenixville, Malvern, Lyndell, Wagontown, Uwchland, Parkesburg, Chester Springs, Lancaster County, Reading, and Morgantown.