NY judge: ‘Rapetti caused crane collapse’
21 July 2011William Rapetti, the master rigger responsible for erecting a tower crane at East 51st Street New York that collapsed during a climbing operation in 2008, killing seven people, has had his rigger and operator licenses revoked. Rapetti was acquitted of manslaughter charges, but still faces civil action. A judge considering his license found that Rapetti’s failures had caused the collapse.
New York City administrative law judge John B Spooner recommended that Rapetti’s tower crane rigger and Class B Hoist Machine Operator licenses be revoked in a report made on 6 July 2011. NYC department of buildings commissioner Robert LiMandri and department of investigations commissioner Rose Gill Hearn announced.
Investigations and legal actions surrounding the fatal 15 March 2008 accident have focused on the use of slings to support a steel collar used to secure the 18-storey crane to a building 303 E 51st Street, in Manhattan. According to a statement released by New York City’s department of buildings, administrative law judge John Spooner found that Rapetti caused the collapse of the crane by violating several local and federal laws and professional standards.
The judge found Rapetti failed to follow the manufacturer’s specifications by using four polyester slings instead of eight to support the steel collar and by attaching the slings at the corners instead of the middle. He also found that Rapetti failed to pad or soften the slings against sharp edges. As a result, Judge Spooner found that Rapetti endangered the public, and his failures led to the collapse.
Rapetti was a well-respected figure in the New York crane industry prior to the accident. Since the accident, industry experts have raised questions about how complex climbing operations are documented. According to the AP, Rapetti’s lawyer says he is considering court action to take win his license back.
