Court upholds DOB’s right to regulate cranes

A federal court dismissed a lawsuit this week that sought to undermine the New York City Department of Buildings’ power to regulate the crane industry, Crain’s reported.

The Steel Institute of New York sued the city agency and argued that the city’s crane laws should be governed by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has its own set of rules for crane construction. While the DOB’s laws do not conflict with federal regulations, they do have added safety measures that were a response to the two construction accidents involving cranes in 2008, at 333 East 91st Street and 303 East 51st Street. However, the lawsuit did not single out those aspects of the city’s laws.

“Local oversight of the crane industry is essential to making sure construction sites are safe for all New Yorkers,” said DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri in a statement and added that crane inspectors conducted more than 4,500 inspections on construction sites last year. [Crain’s]