The U.S. Department of Labor said in a report Tuesday that two contractors could have prevented a crane collapse in Fort Lauderdale that led a worker to fall 30 stories to his death earlier this year.
The department said in a news release that the contractors "failed to protect" the 27-year-old rigger from the fatal fall.
Investigators said back in April, two workers were installing a section of the tower crane to increase its height when a support cable failed and the platform they stood on fell.
One worker who was wearing protective equipment was rescued. The other worker, Jorge de la Torre, was not connected to an anchor point and was fatally injured.
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Georgia-based Phoenix Rigging & Erecting and Pennsylvania-based Maxim Crane Works for five serious violations and has proposed over $61,000 in penalties.
“Neglecting workplace safety requirements can be a matter of life or death,” said OSHA Area Director Condell Eastmond. “If these companies had made safety a priority, a young man’s family, friends, and co-workers wouldn’t be facing this preventable loss. Construction employers are responsible for ensuring that workers use fall protection in hazardous situations, and we will hold all employers accountable for failing to provide safe working conditions.”
A portion of the crane fell on the Southeast 3rd Avenue bridge over the New River, injuring three others who were on the ground or in their vehicles.
One victim filed a $50 million-plus negligence lawsuit earlier this year after suffering severe head injuries and facial trauma.
