LiMandri started by discussing New York’s efforts to improve construction safety in general. He praised new investment under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s council, and highlighted the importance of stop work orders. He told the committee: “On the enforcement front, we are actively issuing stop work orders, a particularly effective tool that we have in our arsenal, that allows us to immediately halt unsafe construction.”

LiMandri called for investment in more OSHA investigators, and said they needed similar powers to New York officials: “While OSHA inspectors do their best to respond to emergencies and complaints, they lack the critical enforcement tool I mentioned earlier, the stop work order. Without authority to stop unsafe work when they find it, OSHA officers can only issue fines. While fines can be a disincentive, they do not carry the same immediacy as a Stop Work Order.”

LiMandri went on to discuss the specifics of crane safety regulation, saying: “The tower cranes that build our skyscrapers are like aeroplanes. They cross state lines, they demand regular maintenance, and need skilled operators, they have interchangeable parts, and they bring catastrophic results when they fail.

“We first support the modernisation of crane OSHA rules. Because these cranes cross state lines, it is important that the federal guidelines be updated. Countless American cities and states depend upon these antiquated regulations because they have no localized crane oversight of their own. Because tower cranes are transitory, it’s imperative a better federal standard is established.

“The nation cannot wait another moment until the outdated OSHA tower crane regulations are revised to meet the demands of modern construction. Even though we are past the June 1 deadline in which no new Federal standards can be enacted, the Administration should make a special exception and pass these important crane standards now.

“In addition, we’d like to see an invaluable black box technology, to be required in every tower crane across the country. Third, cranes that have these interchangeable structural components must be clearly labelled and able to be tracked over their lifetime.”

Video of acting commissioner LiMandri’s testimony is available on Cranes Today’s video news page, or via tinyurl.com/3ll8cy.