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.
The winds on Friday that blew down the 565-foot crane were traveling at 25 mph, DNA Info reported. Previously, the regular wind speed limit was 30 mph, not 20 mph.
Under new regulations, residents near construction cranes will also be informed when the cranes are being secured, not just when they’re being installed.
The mayor will also create a task-force, which will report back in 90 days, that will study the fatal collapse to see how new regulations can be made to improve crane safety.
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