Seattle City Council member raises questions about tightening crane regulations

SEATTLE — Members of the Ironworkers 86 union and other workers marched with a cross to the spot where two of their members died.

“This cross is being placed in memory of our brothers - Travis Corbett, Andrew Yoder,” said a woman part of the march.

As the investigation into what caused the collapse continues, Seattle City Council members are already asking about whether tighter city regulations around taking down tower cranes are possible.

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A tower crane is too big to be mobile, so the pieces are assembled then taken down from project to project.

But there are no no inspection requirements for the disassembly.

And as people mourn for the lives lost -- city leaders are already asking whether there should be more regulation to prevent another crane crash.

Crews were working on taking apart the tower crane when it collapsed.

The plummeting pieces killed two others in cars below.

“Flowers are being placed in memory of Alan Justad and Sarah Wong,” the woman said.

Kneeling one by one, Marines and former Marines planted small American flags into the soil. Now the memorial honors all four who died there Saturday.

Justad, a long-time public servant was also recognized at a Seattle City Council Committee meeting Wednesday.

“He worked for the city for 31 years, is survived by three daughters,” said Nathan Torgelson, director, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection.

The state's department of Labor and Industries is in the very early phases of investigating five involved companies.

It is the state that sets crane safety standards.

The tower crane was assembled and inspected on June 30, 2018 at the Google building site by a third-party, then certified for use.

But the state has no permit requirements for taking apart a crane.

That could change.

“We might want to look at additional regulations above and  beyond what the state requires,” said Lisa Herbold, a Seattle City Council member for District 1.

“There has been speculation that the pins were pulled going up instead of coming down at the end in order to save time. But there’s a right way and a wrong way,” she said.

Herbold suggested oversight for that process as well as what happens on the ground when a crane is disassembled.

“It’s been suggested we can potentially require via a Seattle ordinance that there be a flagger on the street when the crane is being taken apart itself,” she said.

The committee also said it would need to figure out if the city actually has the authority to set regulations that are more strict than state standards -- since L&I is the regulating body that oversees cranes, and would wait until L&I came out with a cause for the crash before formally considering any ordinances.

Cox Media Group