THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604210114
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Residents of Respass Beach Road awoke to an odd sight Saturday: A large construction crane was dangling off the roof of a partially built school.
The crane toppled over about 7:30 a.m. while lifting heavy metal trusses for the gym roof at the new Northern Shores Elementary School, near Tidewater Community College.
As a result, the cab of the crane wound up dangling 10 feet above the ground. It was supported by the crane's boom, which came to rest on top of two reinforced cinder-block walls of the gym.
Other than creating a bizarre spectacle, the accident had little impact. One worker was hurt slightly. The gym walls and some trusses were slightly damaged. There is no roof on the school to be damaged.
The accident will not affect the school's opening in September, said Brian Camden, senior program manager for Powell Management Associates, which represents the School Board at the site. The damage can be easily fixed, he added.
An inspector for the state occupational-safety office is investigating.
How the crane toppled is unclear. The incident happened early Saturday morning, just after laborers started work.
The crane was being operated by subcontractor Advantage Construction of Alabama. One worker was atop the gym wall, directing the crane outside the gym as it lifted a metal truss inside the gym.
After lifting the truss about 35 or 40 feet, the crane started to tip - so slowly, Camden said, that the worker on the wall somehow managed to ride the truss down to the ground. That worker, who walked away from the accident, suffered minor injuries.
It was a windy morning, Camden said, but he did not know if that contributed to the mishap. ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
At Northern Shores Elementary School, under construction in Suffolk,
the crane lost its balance. It tipped so slowly that a worker,
riding a truss being hoisted by the crane, was able to ride it down
without significant injury. Little structural damage was reported as
well.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT CRANE by CNB