Fatal injuries in the United States construction industry involving cranes1984-1994

There is little published information concerning the epidemiology of injuri es in the construction industry involving cranes other than for electrical injury from power lilts contact. For the 11-year period of 1984 through 199 4, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 502 deaths in 479 incidents involving cranes in the construction industry. Electrocution was the largest category, with 198 deaths (39%) reported Oth er major categories were assembly/dismantling (58 deaths, 12%), boom buckli ng (41 deaths, 8%), crane upset/overturn (37 deaths, 7%), and rigging failu re (36 deaths, 7%). The majority of the deaths during assembly/dismantling involved removal of the boom pins from lattice boom cranes. Only 34% of the construction firms employing the fatally injured workers had ever been ins pected by OSHA, OSHA cited the employer for safely violations in 436 deaths (83%), Additional worker training, increased OSHA inspections, and crane i nspection programs could prevent many crane-related deaths.