Dept. of Buildings’ engineers have found defects in the hoisting system of the crane that collapsed at the No. 7 subway line expansion site in Manhattan April 3, said Robert LiMandri, DOB commissioner, in a statement. The accident, which occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority project located between 33rd and 34th Streets on 11th Avenue, killed 30-year-old Michael Simermeyer, a worker for crane owner and operator J&E Industries LLC, Far Rockaway, N.Y. The crane is a Manitowoc 4100 model.
“The maintenance and operation of the crane in the days and weeks prior to this tragic accident has become the focus of our investigation,” LiMandri said. DOB, Manhattan District Attorney’s office, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the New York Police Dept. and other authorities are investigating the accident. “Any contractor who operates on a job site must perform daily and monthly checks to ensure their equipment is safe to use,” LiMandri said.