heavy machinery accidents

Crane Collapses While Working on Dam in Ponca City

By Ray Maples on January 11, 2011

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating an accident involving a crane that collapsed while performing maintenance on a dam in Ponca City, Oklahoma, a news story from KOAM 7 reports. The construction accident occurred on Thursday, January 6 around 10:30 p.m. Thankfully, the crane operator was able to escape before the machine collapsed into the water and was not injured. At the time of the article’s publication, no conclusions had been reached about the cause of the accident.

While no injuries were sustained in this Oklahoma construction accident, it is all too common for serious injuries and even death to occur when workers operate heavy machinery such as cranes, bull dozers, and other construction equipment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2009, there were 818 construction-related fatalities in the country.

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