Hurricane Sandy has struck New York, and perhaps one of the most striking images to be released since the disaster began is one that depicts a damaged crane dangling precariously 74 stories above the street.
The crane was being used as part of a construction project taking place in Midtown Manhattan. With winds potentially reaching nearly 100 miles per hour that high up, the crane collapsed, and officials are attempting to figure out why it happened and what can be done to prevent a potential calamity should the crane fall. Inspectors and engineers will have to walk up to the top of the building to get an idea of what might be accomplished.
The mayor of New York pointed out that there exists no evidence to suggest that a malfunction led to the incident, that metal can fail without warning, and that the wind could be exclusively to blame. Indeed, an inspection carried out this past Friday verified that the crane could handle the weather that was about to come.
However, a complaint was filed last month alleging that oil had leaked from the crane onto an adjacent building. A loose fitting found to be responsible was reportedly fixed. A violation notice was also reportedly issued in April after a heavy ball near the end of the crane loosened and came into contact with building materials.
No matter the cause of this incident, we sincerely hope that the crane doesn’t fall and that construction companies across the country do all that they can to guarantee the safety of their construction equipment.