1 dead in Kansas City, Mo., crane accident

Nov 10, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One worker was killed and another injured Tuesday when a crane tipped over at the construction site of a Kansas City, Mo., performing arts center, police said.

The two men were in the bucket of the 100-foot-tall JLG Lift when it fell away from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and landed across a platform of steel beams at about 1:40 p.m., officials said.

One of the men was pronounced dead at a hospital, said police spokesman Darin Snapp. The other was listed in serious but stable condition and was able to talk. Snapp said both men were in their 30s, but their identities were not immediately released.

Kansas City Missouri police officers look at a portable boom lift that fell at the construction site of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. One worker was killed and another injured Tuesday when a crane tipped over at the construction site, police said.

The men were installing steel panels on the building for Detroit-based subcontractor Midwest Steel, said Kyle McQuiston, spokesman for Kansas City-based general contractor JE Dunn Construction Group.

Construction on the 13-acre site began in 2006 and is scheduled to be finished in 2011. The $400 million center will be the home of the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Kansas City Ballet.

McQuiston said the construction site had no previous fatalities or injuries.

Workers were sent home for the day while investigators examined the site, said JE Dunn president Dan Euston.

"We have an onsite safety team down there and are working with investigators, both local and any federal agencies, to determine what caused this accident," Euston said. "We’re very deeply saddened by this event. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families."

Crane accidents kill up to 82 construction workers each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration. A crane at the construction site of a new federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, also collapsed Tuesday, but police say no one was hurt.

A construction worker died last month after falling from a lift that toppled over and struck a downtown Philadelphia apartment building.

And two New York City crane collapses in 2 1/2 months during the spring of 2008 left nine people dead. Investigators have blamed faulty rigging of an 11,000-pound crane part in the first of those accidents, which killed seven people on March 15, 2008.

LoJack Annual Theft Study Reports Growing Equipment Theft

On March 12, 2008, the LoJack Corporation released the results of its annual Construction Equipment Theft Study. The reports indicated that construction equipment theft is still a growing problem throughout the industry. Here is a summary from the report . . .

For 2007, LoJack’s report breaks down construction equipment theft into various categories:

Professional Theft Rings Continue to Plague the Industry

• In 2007 police discovered eight theft rings and chop shops with the LoJack system.
• These discoveries led police to find an addition $2.5 million in stolen assets that were not tracked with LoJack equipment.

Popular Equipment Make Popular Theft Targets

Newer equipment types are more popular theft targets because of higher resale value.

• Skid Steers
• Backhoe Loaders/Skip Loaders/Wheel Loaders/Track Loaders . . .

States with the Highest Theft Rates

• California
• Florida . . .

Construction Theft is a Local Issue

In 97% of cases, the stolen equipment was recovered in the same state that it was reported in . . .

LoJack’s Guide to Theft Protection

• Keep Good Records
• Focus on Physical Site Security
• Use Theft Deterrents and Proven Recovery Systems

About the Study

The 2007 LoJack Construction Equipment Theft Report is based on state theft statistics and equipment recoveries documented by LoJack in 26 states from January to December 2007 . . .
Please see the complete reports results at LoJack Annual Theft Study.

NAHETS would like to express thanks to the LoJack Corporation for its services in preventing and recovering heavy equipment theft. In addition to working with construction equipment, LoJack also specializes in securing automobiles, motorcycles, laptops, cargo, and more.

Please also visit the LoJack Theft Page.

Sources:

LoJack Corporation. (March 2008). “Local Annual Theft Study Reveals Construction Equipment Theft Continues to Plague Equipment Owners in 2007.” Retrieved March 25, 2008 from http://www.forconstructionpros.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=4&id=9670&pageNum=1.