US Department of Labor’s OSHA cites Harrison Hoist following tower crane collapse at UT Dallas that killed 2 workers

DALLAS – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Harrison Hoist Inc. of Grand Prairie with six serious safety violations following a tower crane collapse at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Richardson campus that killed two workers. The workers were trying to remove the top portion of the crane’s mast when it collapsed; causing them to fall more than 150 feet. The violations include the company’s failure to address the hazards associated with the effects of wind speed and weather on the equipment, ensure that procedures for disassembling the tower crane prevented the collapse of any part of the equipment, adequately support and stabilize all parts of the equipment, ensure that disassembly procedures positioned workers to minimize their exposure to unintended movement or collapse, ensure that disassembly procedures were developed by a qualified person, and train each competent person and each qualified person regarding the requirements of 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926 Subpart CC “Cranes and Derricks in Construction” that are applicable to their respective roles. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23289