13.01.2009

Goliath crane citations

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that it has issued “serious citations” against Norsar and Sarens for the August accident in which a goliath crane collapsed during dismantling at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, near Boston, killing one worker and injuring three others.
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Norsar, which is part owned by Sarens, was the contractor overseeing the dismantling, while Sarens was the subcontractor that owned and operated the jacking system used to support the crane during the dismantling process.

An inspection following the August 14th accident found that Norsar and Sarens had deviated from the original dismantling plan, deciding to dismantle the 3,000-ton crane’s 160-foot-long legs in single units, rather than in two 80-foot sections, OSHA said in a statement.

The deviation from the plan “exposed employees to crushing and struck-by hazards due to inadequate planning, failure to control movement, and failure to assure the structural stability of the leg during its removal. ... The two companies also failed to avoid or minimise employees’ presence in the danger zone,” the statement added.
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The dropped upper section of the leg

Ted Fitzgerald speaking for OSHA said: "The issue here for OSHA is they did not adequately plan or work out the process when they changed course and decided on the new method of dismantling the leg.”

The two contractors and a third, Daniel Marr and Son were also cited for exposing the workers, who were near water, to drowning and fall hazards because of a lack of guardrails, personal flotation devices, life vests, rescue skiffs, and fall protection.

Norsar was issued five citations with $35,000 in proposed fines; Sarens was issued three citations with $21,000 in fines; and Marr was issued four citations with $12,000 in fines.

The companies have 15 business days from the receipt of the citations to meet with OSHA or contest them before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.