A recent collision between two cranes at a construction site sent 16 people to the hospital and left several other people injured. Thankfully, all of the victims are expected to survive.
Although the accident happened in a city in another state, it attracted the attention of national media outlets.
Authorities said that several people suffered injuries when trying to get away from the cranes immediately after the cranes collided. Authorities did say that a piece of one of the cranes had broken and fallen in the accident.
The impact created a loud bang which attracted the attention of many people in the area. It was not clear whether all of those injured were working at the construction job site.
Both local authorities and agencies dedicated to workplace safety will no doubt continue to investigate this accident and issue citations for any regulatory violations. Initial indications were that the cranes had somehow gotten tangled with each other.
This is not the first time the construction contractor in charge of this project has been involved in a construction accident. The contractor has had a history of workers dying at their construction sites due to falls and crush injuries.
Crane accidents are relatively common in New York
While this accident happened in another state, crane accidents are relatively common in New York. In recent years, New York lost 16 workers to crane accidents, and no doubt several others suffered significant injuries.
Employers must take all steps they can to ensure that workers on or around cranes are safe. Those workers who do suffer injuries related to crane accidents may be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits.