A pair of Wisconsin construction firms have been cited for multiple safety violations in connection with a July 2012 crane collapse that left a worker dead.
Lunda Construction Inc. of Black River Falls and Choice Construction Cos. Inc. in Menomonee Falls were hit with 10 safety citations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Among the infractions: failure to properly train and supervise its workers, failure to properly anchor the crane, and failure to use adequate signaling.
Workers injured or killed on construction site jobs in Wisconsin due to unsafe conditions or premises may have the right to file a lawsuit to recover financial compensation.
This is from OSHA’s announcement of the sanctions:
The July 5 incident occurred when a crane collapsed at a bridge construction site on U.S. Route 41 over Lake Butte des Morts near Oshkosh. A truck driver, employed by Spancrete, died when he was struck by the boom of a crane that overturned while bridge girders were being erected with a multiple crane lift. Spancrete was not cited as a result of the investigation.
A Lunda Construction employee who was operating the crane was seriously injured when he was thrown from the cab as the crane fell.
Lunda Construction was cited for the following violations:
- Failing to comply with crane operator standards by designating a lift director and conducting crane-lift planning meetings
- Allowing a crane to travel with a suspended load
- Failing to train competent and qualified persons on their respective roles
- Failing to adequately attach the crane to the barge
- Failing to use appropriate signaling methods suitable for the site conditions
- Failing to meet the requirements of the critical lift plan.
Lunda Construction was previously cited in October for three serious violations after a worker died when struck by a section of crane he was assembling at a construction site on Highway 41 near De Pere.
Construction sites are among the most dangerous places to work in the United States. When a worker is injured or killed on the job, a Wisconsin workplace injury claim or a Wisconsin workplace death claim can request financial compensation for medical bills, hospital expenses, lost wages and other expenses.