Crane collapse kills four
31 July 2008
One of the USAs biggest mobile cranes has collapsed at LyondellBasell’s Houston refinery. The accident ocurred on July 18th 2008 and when an alarm sounded to warn employees of the problem, they ran to an evacuation tent. However, the crane fell on top of the tent and four workers for Deep South, the crane company were killed, and seven were injured. The cause of the accident is unknown. LyondellBasell is one of the world’s largest polymer, petrochemical and fuels companies.
Crane collapse kills four
The 300 feet tall crane had a 400-foot boom, capable of lifting 1 million pounds. It was at the refinery for planned maintenance although the crane was not scheduled to begin work until the following week and was idle when it hit the ground.
There was no environmental impact. OSHA is on-site and an investigation has begun into the incident. This crane collapse along with others has resulted in crane-related deaths in New York, Miami and Las Vegas, causing concern regarding crane construction safety.