The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that the Bourne, Massachusetts crane accident deaths of two works last April could have been prevented if only the proper working conditions and procedures were followed. Joseph L. Boyd III from Fall River and John Loughran from Quincy died on April 12. The two of them worked for the Massachusetts Bay Electrical Corp. They were over 150 feet in the air working on electrical lines when the boom fell to the ground. They died immediately.
According to OSHA, the company’s employees did not get the proper training and were not assessed regarding their ability to work the crane. The government agency found that supervisors at the site failed to follow procedures for setting up and running the crane even though there was an operating manual available. They also failed to perform the correct prelift planning and other necessary tests to make sure the lift could be conducted safely.
Now, Massachusetts Bay has been ordered to pay a $168,000 fine for workplace violations, including the failure to use load charts to assess the minimum angle of the boom angle, failure to use an aerial lift, and allowing the crane to run at over 50% the rated capacity for its configuration.
If you or someone you love was injured or killed in a Boston crane accident you should speak with a Massachusetts workers’ compensation law firm right away. In most cases you will not be able to sue the lawyer for personal injury. You or your loved one should, however, be entitled to work injury benefits. You also may be able to file a Boston construction accident case against third parties that are not your employer over the work accident.
Every year, workers are injured or killed in crane accidents. Many of these incidents could have been prevented if only the proper safety guidelines were followed and workers were adequately trained. Some common causes of crane accidents include:
• Improper crane operation • Using the wrong crane • Crane malfunction • Unsafe working conditions • Improper crane set up
• Crane fall
This week, OSHA put out a final rule extending the deadline for when compliance of the crane operator certification requirements will be mandatory. The rule also gives an extension to employers for making sure that crane operators are competent enough to safely run a crane. Deadline for both is November 10, 2017.
Meantime, the following requirements need to be followed: The employer has to train employees tasked with operating machinery and make sure that they are evaluated on training materials. An employer must make sure that crane operators are competent enough to safely run equipment.
Massachusetts Bay Electrical Corp. cited for safety violations in connection with 2 worker fatalities on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, OSHA, September 24, 2014
Mass. Company Fined in Wake of Cape Cod Crane Deaths, Insurance Journal, September 26, 2014
OSHA Extends Operator Certification Requirement for Cranes in Construction, The National Law Review, September 26, 2014
Two Injured in North End Crane Collapse, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, May 16, 2014
Worker Who Suffered Electrical Explosion Injuries Awarded $3.8 Million, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, March 18, 2014