Falls, struck-by accidents, and other construction site crane injuries have devastating and fatal effects on workers every year. While there are laws to prevent these accidents from happening, site owners and employers may cut corners to save time and money, risking their employees' lives. Our New York construction injury lawyers explain state regulations to protect workers on mobile cranes and what to do if an employer is responsible for your suffering.
NY Industrial Code Provisions for Mobile Cranes on Construction Sites
NY Labor Law 241 requires owners and contractors to make construction sites as safe as possible for workers. Under Section 241(6), owners and contractors must comply with any rules made by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor to carry out the provisions of the law.
The Department of Labor has created specific construction safety rules in Part 23 of the New York Industrial Code to protect people employed in construction, demolition, or excavation work. N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 12 § 23-8.1 set forth the following provisions for mobile cranes:
- Footings. Every mobile crane shall have a firm footing, whether by natural means or by substantial timbers, cribbing, or other structural members sufficient to distribute the load within the safe bearing capacity of the underlying material.
- Outriggers. All outriggers of mobile cranes must be held in their retracted positions when such cranes are traveling and in their extended positions when blocked for hoisting. Power-operated jacks must be provided with means to prevent loss of jack support under load. All outriggers must be visible from their actuating location, and outrigger floats must be securely fastened to the outriggers when used.
- Booms. Booms, boom sections, and jibs must be constructed of suitable steel and must not be raised from the level of the surface where the crane rests other than by the use of its own hoisting capabilities. Boom stops must be provided on mobile cranes to prevent overtopping. Boom extensions that have not been provided by the manufacturer or builder of the crane must be designed by a professional engineer licensed to practice in the State of New York.
- Capacity chart required. Every mobile crane must be provided with a capacity chart that is posted and clearly legible in the crane's cab and visible to the crane operator from his operating position. This chart shall set forth the safe loads that the crane may hoist at various boom lengths at different boom angles and radial distances. If outriggers are provided, safe loads shall be set forth on the capacity chart with and without using the outriggers.
- Hoisting the load. Before hoisting, the person directing the lift must see that the mobile crane is level (and blocked, if necessary). The boom of a mobile crane shall be test operated to its maximum height before hoisting any load at a new job site.
- Travel. A mobile crane traveling to or from one job site to another or traveling on a street or highway must not carry any jibs, attachments, buckets, or other devices or material attached to the boom. A mobile crane, with or without load, may not travel with the boom so high that it might bounce back over the cab.
- Counterweights for mobile cranes. A mobile crane may only be operated with the full ballast or counterweight set by the manufacturer's or builder's specifications.
- Unauthorized operation. Ignition locks, locking bars, or equivalent devices must be provided to prevent the unauthorized operation of mobile cranes. The operator's cab of a mobile crane must be kept locked when the operator is not present. No unauthorized person may enter the cab or remain immediately adjacent to any mobile crane in operation.
Let Us Help After a New York Construction Injury
If you or someone you love was seriously hurt in a crane accident, contact the experienced construction site attorneys at Hofmann and Schweitzer at 800-362-9329 to have us explain your next steps at no cost to you. You can also protect your rights by reading our FREE guide, Hurt in a Construction Accident? You're Not Alone.
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