22.07.2008

Another crane topples in Houston area

A 150 ton crane toppled yesterday while trying to take down a sign designating the entrance to Kingwood - the Houston area's second crane accident in four days.
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The second crane in the Houston area to topple in four days

The crane - owned by Crane Rental Division Inc. - is said to have fallen when removing the pylon sign sitting in the middle of a pond. The pond was partially drained to give access for the crane.
It is thought a gust of wind caught the sign pulling the crane over. The operator was able to escape without injury and no one else was in the area. The crane landed on the back of a flatbed truck not far from the freeway.

This follows Friday's incident when four contract workers were killed when a VersaCrane TC36000 owned by Deep South Crane and Rigging of Baton Rouge, Louisiana collapsed at LyondellBasell's Houston Refinery.

The deaths and injuries prompted some officials to call for more city regulation of cranes.