Investigators look at whether the crane had been set to weathervane during high winds; Texas’ safety record is questioned

Total construction spending expected to fall by more than 8% this year. The non-residential sector is forecast to weaken sharply due to a big decline in the institutional subcategory.

In an analysis of three cranes that collapsed in the Miami area as Hurricane Irma passed over Florida, OSHA found that while the cranes were set to spin freely in the wind, all three were a specific model whose jibs may have been vulnerable to turbulent wind vortexes.

In the wake of a rise in fatal trenching cave-ins, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a targeted education and enforcement program to try to reverse the trend.