02/12/2021
The jib of a luffing tower crane working on a skyscraper in Brooklyn, New York fell yesterday after some sort of luffing elevator or rope failure.
The crane, a Potain buffer from US Crane & Rigging, was being worked on at the time the boom was falling. Fortunately – or by design – the boom was pointed away from the building and simply fell against the tower. No one was injured in the incident and the crane’s three or four riggers were able to climb down safely.
The New York Department of Buildings issued a statement in which it said its “preliminary investigation revealed that technicians were on site performing maintenance on the tower crane when the crane’s boom partially collapsed. No injuries have been reported and the rest of the crane appears to be structurally sound. ”
Image courtesy of the NY Department of Buildings
The investigation continued today, with the department working with the crane company and developers – Brookfield Property Partners and Park Tower Group – to assess the damage to the crane and determine what action should be taken to keep the site safe .
A spokesman for the project said: “Earlier today a crane at One Bell Slip – an unoccupied building under construction – malfunctioned and the boom went into the crane itself. Fortunately, no one was injured. The local authorities got there quickly and we are following their example. Safety is our top priority and we take this matter very seriously. ”
