Engineering News Record of New York Interviews William Rapetti

Tower Crane in Venice, Italy

Engineering News Record (ENR) of New York interviewed William Rapetti after his acquittal of manslaughter charges stemming from the deadly collapse of a 200-foot tower crane in Manhattan in 2008.  The interview was well done and provides the reader with a glimpse of the tenacity and perserverance it takes to defend yourself against unfair charges.  In addition, it gives you a look at the process of when you are charged with manslaughter, and what a person and his family goes through when you become the target.  An very good read and the reporting was done very fairly.

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Riggiing Contractor Cleared Of All Charges

Mr. William Rapetti's trial ended on Thursday with a not-guilty verdict by the judge that heard the case.  This ends the first of the construction trials that the construction industry is watching, the other two being the Deutsche Bank Fire and the other crane accident.  Mr. Rapetti and his company Rapetti Rigging Services were acquitted all charges.  Unfortunately, he and his company, along with other companies on the project, the building owner and New York City, still must face several civil lawsuits in regards to the accident.

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Doomed Crane Had History of Malfunctions | New York Construction | McGraw-Hill Construction

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Doomed Crane Had History of Malfunctions New York Construction McGraw-Hill Construction

The manslaughter trial of William Rappetti, master rigger, and his company Rappetti Rigging Services, began this week.  The Manhattan District Attorney maintains that Mr. Rappetti was responsible for the crane accident that happened on March 15, 2008.  While Mr. Rappetti's attorneys are trying to prove the accident was caused by a number of alternative causes.  Click the link above to get an update on the trial.  We will be following this trial and the other manslaughter trial against J. Lomma (see our post "Crane Case Heading to Court") both regarding the crane accidents that happened in 2008.  Depending how these trials turn out, will depend how much of an impact the Manhattan District Attorney's Office will have on the construction industry.

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OSHA Announces Proactive Measures to Reduce NYC Construction Fatalities

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on June 23, 2008 proactive measures to combat the recent high fatality rate in New York City. OSHA is temporarily assigning a dozen additional compliance officers to conduct proactive inspections of high-rise construction sites, cranes, and other places where fatalities and serious accidents have been occurring. Ongoing inspections will also continue based on existing local emphasis programs or as a result of complaints, referrals or accidents.

Since May, 2008, OSHA has also been sending copies of violation citations issued to employers on city construction sites to the employer's insurance or worker's compensation carriers, and to construction project owners and developers in order to raise awareness of occupational hazards found on city jobsites. Citations involving training violations at union sites will be sent to the unions representing the workers and to their training funds.