Investigators Eye Giant Mobile Crane's Counterweight in Deadly Texas Collapse

摘要

Causes of a July 19 crane collapse that killed four workers and injured seven others are unclear, but initial reports point to the machine's counterweight as a possible source. The crane accident was one of the deadliest in U.S. history and follows a spate of recent crane fatalities (ENR 6/16 p. 10). It occurred at a Houston refinery owned by Netherlands-based Lyondell-Basell when a custom-built, VersaCrane TC-36000, equipped with a back mast and 420 ft of lattice boom, snapped apart at its base and the boom crashed into a smaller crane before hitting the ground. Killed were operators Marion "Scooter" Hubert Odom III, 41, and John D. Henry, 33, as well as ironworkers Daniel "DJ" Lee Johnson, 30, and Rocky Dale Strength, 30. They worked for Baton Rouge, La.-based VersaCrane manufacturer and rental operator Deep South Crane & Rigging Co. Two workers remain hospitalized.