On Friday, a large mobile crane collapsed at a Houston oil refinery. Four workers were killed, and seven were injured. The crane, owned by Deep South Crane & Rigging, was of the nation’s largest mobile cranes, at 300 feet tall with a 400-foot boom.
This is the latest of several fatal accidents involving construction cranes. An Associated Press analysis in June found that cities and states have wildly varying rules governing construction cranes, and some have no regulations at all, choosing instead to rely on federal guidelines dating back nearly 40 years that some experts say haven’t kept up with technological advances.
Oregon has state regulations on crane operations including requiring certification for operators of cranes that are five tons or more.
