Cranes are usually the most expensive piece of equipment on a jobsite but also have the most potential for damage. With average profit margins in crane-related work a little over 4%, employers cannot afford not to train managers on key safety issues around cranes, insurers say.

“We are trying to take a higher-level look at systemic issues,” says Marko Kaar, senior risk engineering consultant for Schaumburg, Ill.-based Zurich Services Corp. “Is it a failure to inspect? If it is a failure to inspect, is it a failure to train? If it is a failure to train, is it a failure to concentrate proper resources?”