Crane collapses at Houston refinery, killing 4
source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gHIiMinzmKlubrQat3cANE4sAQlAD920G4K00
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HOUSTON (AP) — Four people were killed and six injured when a crane collapsed Friday during routine maintenance at a southeast Houston refinery, a company official said.
All the workers were contract employees working at the LyondellBasell refinery in Houston about 2 p.m. when a crane several hundred feet long fell over, said Houston Fire Department Assistant Chief Omero Longoria.
The company was preparing to do routine maintenance on one of the units at the refinery. But the crane, operated by Deep South Crane & Rigging, was not scheduled to be active Friday, but the engine was on after it hit the ground, Jim Roecker, LyondellBasell's vice president for refinding, said.
About 1,500 contract workers are employed at the refinery, he said.
Longoria said five people have been transported to hospitals. Two are in critical condition, while the other three have trauma-related injuries.
Crane safety has been getting extra scrutiny in recent months because of an alarming number of crane-related deaths in places such as New York, Miami and Las Vegas.
In New York City, two crane accidents since March have killed nine people — a greater number than the total deaths from cranes over the past decade.
An Associated Press analysis in June found that cities and states have wildly varying rules governing construction cranes, and some have no regulations at all, choosing instead to rely on federal guidelines dating back nearly 40 years that some experts say haven't kept up with technological advances.
All the workers were contract employees working at the LyondellBasell refinery in Houston about 2 p.m. when a crane several hundred feet long fell over, said Houston Fire Department Assistant Chief Omero Longoria.
The company was preparing to do routine maintenance on one of the units at the refinery. But the crane, operated by Deep South Crane & Rigging, was not scheduled to be active Friday, but the engine was on after it hit the ground, Jim Roecker, LyondellBasell's vice president for refinding, said.
About 1,500 contract workers are employed at the refinery, he said.
Longoria said five people have been transported to hospitals. Two are in critical condition, while the other three have trauma-related injuries.
Crane safety has been getting extra scrutiny in recent months because of an alarming number of crane-related deaths in places such as New York, Miami and Las Vegas.
In New York City, two crane accidents since March have killed nine people — a greater number than the total deaths from cranes over the past decade.
An Associated Press analysis in June found that cities and states have wildly varying rules governing construction cranes, and some have no regulations at all, choosing instead to rely on federal guidelines dating back nearly 40 years that some experts say haven't kept up with technological advances.
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edbr
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sad, very sad. maybe they're just getting more publicity, but it sure seems like these are happening more and more often. where are the regulations or safeguards and who is accountable for adhering to them? do people care if their inattention or just plain incompetence harms or kills someone?
- 3 years ago
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edbr
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