WSJ: Democrats Seek Tougher Crane Safety Standard as Deaths Mount

[Omaha Steve]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121694419350982879.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

By KRIS MAHER
July 25, 2008; Page A3

Crane-related fatalities continued to mount, with six deaths in the past week, prompting Democrats in Congress to push for an enhanced federal safety standard and put more pressure on the agency charged with overseeing workplace safety.

An elderly man who was in his car watching a church steeple being assembled in Oklahoma City Thursday was killed when the boom of the crane fell on the car, according to a local fire-department official.

A day earlier, an iron worker in Normal, Ill., who was assembling girders at a construction site, died when the boom of a crane fell on him, according to the McLean County, Ill., coroner. Friday, four workers were killed and seven injured when a 30-story crane, one of the world's largest, collapsed at the LyondellBasell Industries refinery in Houston.

The company, which had contracted the crane to do scheduled maintenance work, said it has launched an investigation into the accident.

Tuesday, nine Senate Democrats sent a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, urging her to issue a new safety standard for cranes and derricks.

The letter, which was signed by Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, said it was "unfathomable" that the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is responsible for maintaining worker safety, including inspecting cranes, hadn't implemented recommendations made in 2004 by industry and labor to issue a new standard to improve crane safety.

FULL story at link.

[DCKit]

1. I hope their dues to the RNC and Chao's husband's campaign fund are up-to-date...

or there could be a real backlash against the crane/construction companies.