The New York City Technical Working Group has announced 23 new safety recommendations for operating cranes within the city. The Crane Safety Technical Group was created after the crane collapse in Tribeca this past February. This new independent review will provide guidelines on the best practices for implementing crane regulations, as well as the use of advanced technology to ensure the safety standards for crane use in New York City are the highest and most robust in the nation. These 23 new recommendations are designed to keep people — workers and others alike — safe from crane collapses and other dangers. Some of the most important recommendations include the following:
- Increased accountability – It is important for the construction site to have someone who is accountable for the safety of workers on the cranes. This on-site lift director will be liable for making sure the crane, the work conditions, and everything involved is in compliance with city regulations. They would also stop operations if they deemed it unfit to work in the conditions. This would also include pre- and post-shift meetings, inspections, checks, and any other measures necessary to ensure safety.
- Reformed training and licensing requirements – A new recommendation includes more specific training for operating engineers when it comes to crane operation and safety. This includes mandated training for crane operators so they can learn about the operation of cranes with unusually oversized boom/jib combinations and limitations of hoisting machine operator license operators when using boom/jib configurations without specific licensing.
- Site-specific wind requirements – It is recommended for crane operation to be restricted to 30 miles per hour winds and when in excess of this, the decision to operate the crane should be based on site measurements and wind speeds instead of the current citywide regulation to cease operations. When crane configurations must cease operation during 20 – 30 miles per hour winds, they should only be allowed in non-public areas, or if there is a city-approved safety plan in place. Unless located in a non-public site, crane configurations with a wind threshold of fewer than 20 miles per hour should be barred, maintaining current policy.
- Flexible staffing – New recommendations urge the exploration of flexible staffing options to make it more possible to deal with the surging crane application volumes. Outside expertise may be used to supplement an inspection team. The use of other approved third parties may be needed for inspections as well.
- Phasing out older cranes – The new recommendations state that older, out-of-date cranes be phased out in favor of newer cranes with the latest technology. This means cranes equipped with data-tracking devices, anemometers to measure the speed of the wind, and GPS trackers for monitoring improvements. Also, there should be an age limit on cranes operating within the city.