Workers evacuated the site following the Feb. 16 incident

This week, Community Board 1 heard a brief report on the crane incident that occurred February 16th at 4 World Trade Center. One of two atop the now 62-story structure that day, the north crane dropped a load of steel beams that crushed the back of a tractor-trailer, fortunately without injuring anyone.

At the meeting, Silverstein Properties and Tishman Construction spokespeople reported that the lack of injuries was evidence that safety protocols worked as planned. Some of those measures include thorough pre-planning and risk assessment, using audible alarms for every crane pick, keeping personnel out of the load zone, and employing certified riggers for crane operations.

Tishman’s Public Affairs Director John Gallagher explained that the Port Authority and city Department of Buildings are now investigating the cause of the crane incident, and therefore could not discuss details about the malfunction.

Since the incident, the north crane was removed from the site, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regularly inspects the south crane. Project managers expect that the crane incident will only slightly delay the tower’s completion, currently slated for mid-2013.

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