Some crane operators say working at fast pace means ignoring safety concerns

ATLANTA — Some metro Atlanta crane operators say it’s pressure to build from the ground up quickly and move on.

“When we get a job, we hit the ball running,” one crane operator who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation said.

Channel 2′s Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln spoke with crane operators who say the fast pace comes with a list of ignored safety concerns.

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“I recently had to walk off a job because it was so unsafe, " one operator said.

Operators say they’ve been asked to operate in high wind conditions, carry overweighted loads, work 80-hour work weeks, and rely on inexperienced ground guides, who are called riggers.

One crane operator recalled a project where none of the riggers spoke clear English.

He said that’s a major safety concern because they are a crane operator’s eyes on the ground.

Channel 2 found there’s no state oversight for crane operators.

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require crane operators to be nationally certified and must re-test every five years.

We learned the site where Tuesday’s accident happened was being built by Balfour Beatty Construction.

Records from OSHA reveal the site had two federal inspections done last year.

A spokesperson for Balfour Beatty Construction said: “We are thankful to report that the four injured workers from yesterday’s incident have been treated and released last night. Our thoughts continue to be with these individuals and their families and we wish them a speedy recovery. The crane at the 1018 West Peachtree construction project was successfully stabilized and now requires dismantling. The Balfour Beatty team, crane engineers, OSHA and local authorities are currently working to develop a crane dismantling plan and timeline to ensure the project site and adjacent residential buildings are safe and secure. The site and surrounding area remain closed until crane dismantling operations are complete and we are partnering with property management to provide displaced residents with secured, temporary accommodations. Balfour Beatty is committed to the safety of the public and the project site and we will continue to work diligently to ensure impacted residents can return home as soon as safely possible. We continue to work closely with local authorities and OSHA during this thorough investigation into the cause of the incident.”

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