Sleuthing a crane fatality

The tower-crane collapse that claimed a life in Bellevue, caused millions of dollars of damage and shut down part of the city for days was a unique variant of a tragedy not all that uncommon. Crane accidents kill and injure people around the world, with unsettling frequency.

Industry literature offers as many types of crane failures as categories of cranes. Electrocution is a leading hazard, followed by improper handling, boom collapse, dropped loads, falls, rigging failures, overturned cranes and mechanical failure. Inspectors from the state Department of Labor & Industries will have a detailed checklist from state codes as their starting point for investigating the accident that claimed the life of Matt Ammon, a young Microsoft attorney, in his nearby apartment.

The tower apparently separated from its moorings in a construction site. The vertical mast of the crane crashed across the corner of one building, and elements of the crane's long horizontal boom sliced into two buildings, including several floors of the apartment.

Given the nautical phrases attached to the crane, the suspicion that high winds played a role has cruel irony.

The Legislature will have to decide how big a mess and tragedy the Bellevue incident represents. Cranes, ski lifts, amusement rides and aerial trams — which all have their own jittery quotient — are subject to state rules and standards required of their owners and operators.

For instance, the state has its own requirements for certified amusement-ride inspectors, but they are privately employed. Ski lifts get an initial electrical inspection by the state. Only elevators and related systems are currently inspected by state employees.

Self-regulation is perfectly adequate if the public is willing to accept the risk, or, if not, the concentric rings of expense if tougher governmental requirements are imposed.

As recently as late September, the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators was showing off its stuff at the 55th Annual Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Conference in Spokane. This industry knows it has a history of problems and is working to correct them and avoid additional oversight. Fourteen states and six cities have ramped up operator standards from certification to licensure.

None of this is to say operator error was a factor in Bellevue. Lots of big questions have yet to be explored.

Beyond the ultimate lessons learned from this fatal accident, the Legislature might wonder if exhaustive investigations after the fact are sufficient.