2016 Advocacy Victory

New York City, NY

Immediately following a February 2016 fatal accident in New York City, all crawler crane operations were shut down and unrealistic wind-speed requirements were imposed. The City also put together a panel comprised of individuals with limited construction backgrounds to review wind speeds and their impact on crane operations. SC&RA requested the mayor reconsider the composition of the committee and include at least one or two industry representatives to assist with their research. Although SC&RA was not successful in obtaining an industry seat on the review panel, the Association was subsequently granted a seat on the Crane Rules Advisory Committee, which provides direct feedback to the New York City Crane Safety Technical Working Group.

In October, after the NYC Crane Working Group released its Crawler Crane Safety Requirements, five associations, which include many SC&RA members, filed suit in New York State Supreme Court to block the Working Group’s requirements. The suit argued that these requirements would implement a potentially arbitrary and dangerous construction policy on companies operating in New York City.