Abstract
The introduction of new OSHA cranes and derricks regulations in 2010 has been referenced by organizations involved in crane operations as being a significant milestone in reducing the number of crane accidents. This study investigates the impact of the new regulations on the frequency of crane accidents that result in fatalities and injuries while identifying crane related hazards posing significant safety risk during crane operations. Crane related accidents recorded between 2002 and 2012 were analyzed in detail to compare accident frequencies resulting in fatalities and injuries. Specifically, accidents were sorted by causes of crane accidents and types of crane failures grouped into two categories: accidents between 2002 to 2010 representing old crane regulations and accidents between 2011 and 2012 representing new regulations. The expectation was that crane accidents were significantly reduced after the introduction of new crane regulations. Detailed data analysis including chi-square test and proportional analysis were conducted on these two categories. Although no significant relationship was revealed between the frequency of crane accidents and the change in regulations, the proportional analysis showed decline in the frequency of certain types of accidents while revealing areas with proportional increase that require further attention for risk mitigation.
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Cho, CS., Boafo, F., Byon, YJ. et al. Impact analysis of the new OSHA cranes and derricks regulations on crane operation safety. KSCE J Civ Eng 21, 54–66 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-016-0468-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-016-0468-7