After the collapse of a construction crane killed one person in Tribeca, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced new safety regulations and fines on Sunday Feb. 7.
Crawler cranes will have to restricted from operating and must be property secured when steady winds are above 20 mph, or gusts are above 30 mph, the New York Daily News reports.
“We all know there is a construction boom going on in our city, and although we value the work that’s being done...nothing is more important than the safety of our people,” de Blasio said. “There is no building that is worth a person’s life.”
On Friday, 38-year-old David Wichs was killed while walking down Worth St. as the crane crashed on him.
Under the new rules, if there are forecasts of heavy winds the next morning, the cranes will have to be secured the night before. Fines for violations of the rules will also rise from $4,800 to $10,000.
