New Twist In 91st Street Crane Collapse

When the first construction accidents occurred this year, the outcry was to have more inspectors working at the Department of Buildings so that there would be more oversight on the industry that seemed to put speed ahead of safety. Well the budget for the next year includes salary for a few dozen more, however there is another problem going on at DoB besides the amount of inspectors. Quality counts just as much.

From The Gothamist:

An insurance company executive, whose client owned the crane had once been repaired before collapsing on East 91st Street last Friday, said the Department of Buildings knew the crane's history. NationalBuilders Insurance Services executive vice president Kevin Cunningham said, "The DOB inspector certified that it was OK to go back to work."

While the insurance company says the 24-year-old tower crane's turntable crack was "minor," investigators suspect the re-welded crack might have given way and caused the collapse. The Department of Buildings told the Times it couldn't comment, because it didn't want to interfere with the investigation.

City officials, contractors, developers and others have been holding meetings to discuss construction and crane safety. The NY Times reported the city may consider to third-party crane inspecting, as there is in California. And the city just announced news safety measures, like construction workers will have to complete crane safety courses, restrictions on equipment (like not using the nylon strap in the March 15 crane collapse) and contractors receiving numbers to track safety.

The considerations taken under review by the city are important steps. It doesn't excuse the negligence beforehand but stopping any more unnecessary deaths is of the utmost concern. Of course contractors themselves need to be reigned in, it isn't like they build these vast structures in a vacuum. New York City is the most bustling city in this country and its residents, workers and tourists deserve piece of mind along with the workers that continuously build NYC up.

East Midtown Explosion Was No Accident

Since the blast last month, it was suspected that the explosion was not just a freak occurrence. Now there is proof and it is starting to complicate matters. Con Edison and the city want to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible and two lanes were opened on Lexington this week, but due diligence is still needed with lawsuits pending and people that demand accountability instead of a cover up. Well the fight between the tow truck driver's lawyer and Con Ed is about to heat up.

From The Daily News:

A crucial Con Edison steam valve wasn't working just before last month's deadly steampipe explosion, a bombshell affidavit from a top state regulator says.

The "steam trap," just feet away from the blast site at 41st St. and Lexington Ave., was supposed to drain water out of the steampipe to prevent a catastrophic condition called "water hammer," which causes water to slam into itself with incredible pressure.

The stainless-steel trap was installed in December 2006, but preliminary tests after the explosion revealed it wasn't operating and had a possible debris buildup, according to the sworn statement by Thomas Dvorsky, an engineer who heads the state Public Service Department office in charge of steam service.

So there was definitely a pre-existing problem. City and state officials want to cut the trap open to investigate, while the manufacturer of the device says that it was designed to keep water away even if it failed. The lawyer for Gregory McCullough also has reservations:

McCullough's lawyer Kenneth Thompson has blocked the tests, saying the utility can't be trusted to investigate itself.

"I do not want this to happen to any other family," said McCullough's mother, Tanya McCullough-Stewart. "He does cry. You can see the pain in his eyes."

Of course that is an emotional appeal (well-deserved of course, the poor guy is facing possible amputation of an arm and a leg) but so what. An independent observer needs to be brought in to oversee this, I wouldn't trust Con Edison either.