Popular Sports Pages on CBS4.com
Mar 18, 2008 10:17 pm US/Eastern
Miami-Dade Approves Crane Regulations
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
-
-
In this out of state accident a crane fell just feet from a house.
CBS
In the wake of the fatal crane accident in New York City, Miami-Dade County took up its own issues of crane safety, adopting a new ordinance that will impose regulations on the use of the heavy construction equipment.
The crane industry is not regulated as many think it is. In fact, in Florida almost anybody can operate a crane, because you don't even need a license. Crane usage is only regulated by some archaic federal government oversight.
Because of this, the Miami-Dade Commission adopted an ordinance on Tuesday to regulate cranes usage and operators at the county level.
"They normally came in after an accident occurred," said Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, who has pushed for the ordinance.
"Certifications, you have inspections, hurricanes, insuring that these cranes are bounded to the walls or either come down during a hurricane, testing," said Edmonson.
The Commissioner was inspired after a construction accident took the life of a worker securing a crane in Downtown Miami in 2006.
"It's not going to prevent all accidents, but it will prevent a lot of accidents," said Gary Waters of the International Union of Operating Engineers.
But some industry insiders think the government is over regulating the industry
"To come around and write an ordinance specifically geared to one county, one municipality, and then giving the opportunity to 67 other counties—that's unfair," said Bruce Whitten with the Florida Crane Owners' Council.
The new ordinance should go into effect in a couple of months, but crane operators will be given until 2009 to be certified.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
2009 Dolphins Cheerleader Calendar Shoot
Click to enlarge
I-Team: Tracking The Florida Stimulus Money Trail 
Stumble It!
