$20k fine for crane wind violation

Crane engineer failed to follow procedure for securing cranes during high winds. Matheau Chaudanson was a supervising engineer at a construction site located at 608 West 40th Street, Manhattan. One of Chaudanson’s responsibilities was to monitor wind speeds and direct the out-of-service configuration of crawler cranes in order to ensure safety.  Chaudanson, in anticipation of wind speeds of 60 miles per hour, participated in a meeting to discuss crawler crane configurations on February 25, … <Read More>


Crane Operator Involved in 2016 TriBeCa Collapse Has License Permanently Revoked

After judge finds operator at fault of fatal collapse, agency revokes license. On May 2, 2018, the Department of Buildings announced it permanently revoked the Hoist machine Operator license of crane operator Kevin J. Reilly. Reilly was involved in the fatal crane collapse in February 2016 on Worth Street in TriBeCa adjacent to New York Law School. Reilly’s license was suspended in December 2016 and DOB filed an action to permanent revocation. CityLand previously covered <Read More>


Buildings Upheld on Crane Licenses

President of the operating engineers challenged new rules on crane operator licenses. Edwin L. Christian, President and Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers, filed an article 78 petition challenging amendments to the rules of the City of New York promulgated by the Department of Buildings regarding licensing for crane operators. Christian challenged the adoption of a rule which dispensed with the requirement that, for a class A license, the applicant must have … <Read More>


Crane Safety Working Group Releases Recommendations

Recommendations include increased accountability, updated technology, wind requirements, and training reform. On June 10, 2016, the Crane Safety Technical Working Group released a report with 23 recommendations regarding crane safety. The working group was formed by Mayor de Blasio and Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler following February’s crane collapse in Tribeca, which affected New York Law School.


Mayor Bill de Blasio Announces New Crane Safety Plan, Effective Immediately

New plan subjects crane operators to additional safety regulations and increased fines for non-compliance.  On February 7, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a four-prong safety plan to be taken by large crane operators.  The new set of safety measures arose in response to a fatal crane collapse incident, which occurred on February 5, 2016 in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan.


Enforcement of new crane law enjoined

Buildings amended crane law to stop crane owners from de-rating crane tonnage capacity. As part of Buildings’ new construction code, a provision was enacted to limit Class C1 licensed crane operators to single control stations. The provision was meant to limit crane owners’ ability to de-rate a crane’s maximum load capacity. De-rating is the practice of reporting that a crane has a lesser ton capacity than it actually has so that a lower licensee, … <Read More>